All Too Well
by kachilee07
Summary: He came home for a break after the show ended. She came home to resolve her past. Neither expected to run into each other again. Even after seven years, they still remember what it was like. But they aren't the same people anymore. And this time, she refuses to be the one left behind.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: I want to say thank you. I know, I know. How can I say thanks when it's the FIRST chapter? Welllll...I got a CRAP ton of reviews + messages at the end of "Just Might Make Me Believe." And they were all so positive and wonderful and almost made me cry. No lie. Because of your encouragement, I'm actually posting again. Ahahaha. Wasn't too sure about it, but I'm doing it.**

**So here it is! New story! I'm actually super excited about this one. Like, I thought of the basic idea last week, but it seriously took shape today. To the point of I wrote most of this chapter while I was at work today. Oops. Lol. I hope y'all enjoy this!**

**Here we gooooo...**

* * *

Emily Daniels stepped out of the airport terminal, breathing in the familiar air. She slipped the dark sunglasses off the top of her head, perching them up on her nose, shielding her eyes from the sun and the various people around her. Swinging the rental keys in her hand, she walked towards the parking lot. When she reached the sleek sedan, she tossed her carry on into the trunk before getting in and pulling out.

It was a 45 minutes drive from the airport. Seven years had passed since she had been home; seven long years. When she left, she had been a young, naïve 18 year old, destitute and nursing a broken heart. She had worked her way up the country, doing odd jobs; anything to get by. Finally she made it to her ultimate destination: New York City.

Her mother had followed shortly after, leaving behind her tyrannical husband. Emily's father had been an unloving, often times cruel man. Life was strict with Clint. She supposed she had him to thank for her work ethic. If everything wasn't done to his liking, then there would be hell to pay. Never in the physical sense, no. But Clint Daniels ran a hard and strict household. No one dared to disobey him.

So when Grace had gone against his demands to cut off all contact with their nomad daughter, he flipped. Emily had gotten a frantic phone call from her mom late one night a few weeks after she had arrived in the city. Using up all of her saved tip money, she bought a plane ticket for her mom and moved her into her tiny studio apartment. Clint had a tight hold on their money, so Grace was just as poor as her daughter. Slowly, they both worked their way up. Grace filed for divorce a year after. Neither mother nor daughter had looked back. Until now.

Emily took in the landscape as she drove into town. Not much had changed over the years. Oh, things had been updated some. Signs had been refurbished, logos changed, technology improved. But the establishments remained the same. If she looked close enough, Emily could practically see her younger self, walking arm in arm with her best friend; hopping into the old red mustang that belonged to her high school sweetheart.

Shaking her head, she pulled into the town inn. Those were just memories. She was a completely different person now. And she didn't come back for a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Emily grabbed out her carry on and walked through the doors. The tinkling of a bell welcomed her into the charming old inn. Stepping up to the desk, an older woman with snowy white hair greeted her.

"Welcome to Creekhaven Inn. What can I do for you?" she asked. Emily slipped the sunglasses off her nose and looked up at her.

"I need a room…" She was interrupted by the woman.

"Oh my word. Emily? Emily Daniels!" Grimacing slightly, Emily nodded. "Oh I just knew it was you! Why, I'd recognize those eyes anywhere," she said, almost fondly. "Why it's good to see you, girl."

"It's good to see you too, Ms. Clara," Emily responded.

"Not under the circumstances, I suppose. I was awful sorry to hear about your Daddy."

Emily gave a non-committal nod. "Thank you," she said, only out of politeness.

"All the same, it's good to see you back. How long will you be staying with us?"

"Just a few days."

Or less, she thought as she entered her room. Only as long as it took to go through her father's estate. Tomorrow morning she would meet with the executor and hopefully get this all over with.

Sighing, she flopped down on the bed, closing her eyes. Emily hadn't wanted to come back, especially not for her father. But her mother insisted. Grace couldn't handle coming back, seeing the house she had tried so hard to make a home. She couldn't bear to deal with all of his personal belongings. So Emily agreed to go.

She didn't know how to feel about all of this. Was she sad that the great Clint Daniels was gone? Not especially. Emily let out a half laugh at that. How awful was it to not even care that her father was dead? Shrugging at herself, she got up and walked to the window, gazing at the town before her.

Most her friends were still here, that much she knew. While Grace had kept in contact with some, Emily hadn't. Even her best friend, she thought regretfully. It was hard. Her boyfriend had left and then her father had kicked her out. Emily had decided in that moment to leave town. She had tried to keep up with Cassie, but moving so often made that difficult. Eventually they stopped speaking.

Life got in the way. Emily learned that the hard way. She didn't have many friends in the city. She worked hard at her job and had a busy home life. She was determined to make her own way. Because of her drive, she was now an executive assistant to the CEO of a large corporation. It wasn't the easiest and the hours were long, but she was good at her job. Her boss knew he could count on her.

Unlike so many other people.

Once again, Emily shook her head, breaking her train of thought. Twenty minutes back here and she was already getting caught up in the past. Taking a deep breath, she turned away from the window. She was here for one purpose. And as soon as she was done, she'd leave. Nothing else would tie her to this town.

* * *

Logan Mitchell turned into his parent's driveway, breathing in the familiar scent of home. Gravel crunched under the tires of the car he had driven all the way from Los Angeles. He was a world famous star, yet he chose to drive instead of taking the short flight back home. It gave him time to think. Besides, he'd always liked driving, feeling the speed.

He'd missed this place. L.A. was where he lived now, but this would always be home.

The show that had given him his break had ended, and the band that had consisted of him and his three best friends had decided to take a break. It was that point in their lives. They each needed to focus on who they were separately; figuring out their own careers.

It had been almost six months since everything ended. Logan had spent that time enjoying the freedom. Having nothing to do, nowhere to be. He still wasn't sure what he wanted to do now. That's why he came home, he supposed. It was another kind of break for him; a break from the craziness that was L.A.

Both Kendall and Carlos were focusing on music. James had landed a role on a prime time series. In addition, he had his family. Smiling to himself, he thought of them. James, Kate and their little girl, Naomi. He'd spent a good bit of time at their house before he left, spoiling the small child. He was happy for them. James and Kate had been through a lot, but now they had their family. They fit.

To be truthful, Logan was a little jealous of that. Over the past few years, he'd watched and witnessed as the two of them fell in love and dealt with life. There was a connection between the two of them. If he was being honest, and well, he figured he might as well be, Logan wanted that. Having someone who understood you, someone to come home to.

With the show and band over, it was lonely.

So he'd come home. Truthfully, he didn't know how long he intended to stay. But as he walked up the steps to his parent's house, he knew one thing. It felt good to be back.

* * *

"Thanks," Emily said, taking the styrofoam travel mug filled with coffee from the young girl on the other side of the counter. She tossed the change into the tip jar and hurried out the door, intent on escaping before anyone else recognized her.

Turning the corner, she ran right into a solid male chest, dropping her coffee onto the sidewalk.

"Shit!" she cursed.

"Damn it, I'm so sorry!"

Emily's head shot up at the voice. Her green eyes met a pair of familiar dark ones, both wide with shock. They both spoke at the same time.

"Logan?"

"Emily?"

Laughing nervously, Logan ran a hand over the back of his neck. "It's been a while."

"Seven years," came her staccato reply. She pushed away the strands of sunlit hair that had fallen out of her bun, slight impatience registering in her posture.

"Yeah," he breathed out. He stared at her. She was different, more grown up. But those eyes were the exact same; the deep green that mimicked the woods they'd grown up in. They were one of the reasons he'd fallen in love with her when they were kids.

Emily was in shock. She'd never expected to see Logan Mitchell again in her life. In fact, she would have been thrilled with that. Besides for her father, Logan was the one other man who had managed to do any damage to her. They once had plans. They were going to go to L.A., figuring out their dreams and life together. But he had left her alone, going off in pursuit of his own dream. Once she stopped being mad, she decided she couldn't fault him for that. Hollywood had called his name loud and clear. She just would've been dead weight. Still, it didn't make the pain of being left without even so much as a goodbye any less.

"I didn't know you'd be here."

Logan shrugged at her. "On a break. Decided to come home for a bit. I um – I thought you'd left."

"I did."

Her voice held distance in it. There was no familiarity, just the strange politeness that he wasn't used to from her. But then again, he shouldn't be used to anything from her anymore.

"So what brings you back?" he asked.

"My father."

Puzzled, his eyebrows furrowed together. "I'd heard that you weren't speaking to him anymore."

"You heard right. He's dead."

Sorrow immediately entered his face. If Emily hadn't been so intent on maintaining a separation from him, she would've melted at his look. That was the Logan she knew.

"I'm sorry," he offered simply. She lifted a shoulder at him.

"Don't be," Emily replied. "I'm not." Looking at her watch, she let out a sigh. "I'm running late. Excuse me," she said, side stepping him. Before she could get anywhere, she was stopped by his voice.

"Emily?" She looked over her shoulder at him. "It's good to see you."

Instead of replying, Emily nodded her head in acknowledgement before turning and continuing on.

Logan stood there, watching her walk away. Well, maybe coming home wasn't such a bad idea after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: Whoa holy crap. Didn't expect that positive response. Hah. THANK YOU. I love all of y'all! And I GREATLY appreciate the reviews! :) There's a rather large surprise in this chapter...  
**

**SuperSillyStories - YES. INTRIGUED PANDA. AWESOME. I laughed at your review, not even gonna lie. Hole of a penis? Bahahaha. And he does need a hug! Do I sense a volunteer? :P  
Carlos'sCupcake - Yay! And whoaaa. Thank you, but it's totally not that great. And I WISH I could quit and just write. Wouldn't that be a fabulous job? *dreamy sigh*  
Guest - Thank you! I'm glad that you thought it was interesting! :)  
Tokala - Awesome! Glad that you liked it! :)  
Emy . Elle - Yeaaah. I was torn between who I wanted to write about and he just seemed to be the perfect fit for this. And I was torn about making in the same 'universe' as the last one. But I figured it works either way so might as well. Glad that you think it's interesting! WOOT.  
SeraphinaCruz - Yes! You're intrigued! That's great! Hopefully it stays entertaining. Lol.  
Anonymous Rabbit - Nope! Not a one-shot. Def a story! It's actually kind of a continuation of my last one, just focused on Logan now. And aww...thank you! I'm glad that you like it so far! :)  
SprinklzAndPixieDust - Thank you! Logan's definitely got his work cut out for him with her. ...But I think you may be right about him figuring it out. ;)**

* * *

Stepping up to the door, Emily took a calming breath, pushing aside the current shock she felt. She had business to attend to; thoughts of one Logan Mitchell did not need to enter her mind. Pushing open the door, she walked into the law office, greeting the secretary at the front desk before being led to the back office.

"Ms. Daniels is here," the secretary said, poking her head in the door.

"Send her in."

Emily stepped in through the doorway, closing the door softly behind her.

"Ms. Daniels."

"Mr. Caine," she said, reaching forward and shaking the hand of the stately gentleman in front of her. He was middle aged, some gray beginning to poke through his dark hair. Rectangular frames sat low on his nose.

"I'm glad you could make it. Please, sit," he said, gesturing to a chair on the other side of the desk. Emily sat, glancing around.

"Is there no one else coming?" she questioned. Mr. Caine shook his head, a small smile on his lips.

"No. I'm afraid you and your mother were the only two asked to be present. Shall we begin?" Emily nodded at him, unsure of what to expect.

"The last will and testament of John Clint Daniels…"

"Can we skip all of that?" Emily interrupted him. "I don't need all of the legal jumbo and a long reading of what I'm sure amounts to absolutely nothing."

"Ms. Daniels, it's standard procedure…," he started, but was interrupted again.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I'd rather get this over with as soon as possible."

Mr. Caine eyed her over his glasses for a moment before giving a small nod of assent. "Very well. To my ex-wife, Grace Amelia Daniels, I leave all of my possessions that reside in my house. To my daughter, Emily Maureen Daniels, I leave my house along with a sum of $100,000."

Emily's eyes widened in shock. Before she could say anything, the lawyer went on.

"To my granddaughter, Hannah Grace Daniels, I leave a trust fund in the amount of $50,000 to be given to her on her 18th birthday."

This time she spoke. "Wait. He left me the house and a huge sum of money? And a trust fund for my daughter? Are you sure that's the right will?" she asked him.

"There is one condition, Ms. Daniels."

The green in her eyes sharpened at his statement. "Of course there is. My father and I were never on that good of terms."

"Mr. Daniels has requested that both you and your daughter receive that which he has left to you, with one stipulation. You must live in your father's house for six months. At the end of which, you will receive your inheritance."

Emily sat there, dumbfounded. Her mind wasn't just running; it was sprinting a damn marathon around in her head. "You can keep the damn house and his money. But what about the trust fund? Is that tied to it as well?"

"I'm afraid so Ms. Daniels."

"Is this – I mean, can he do this? Is it even legal to force me to live here? I have a job! A life in New York. I can't just move back down here because my bastard of a father decides to play one last mind game after his death!"

Mr. Caine sighed and took off his glasses, folding them and putting them neatly on the desk next to the will.

"It is within his right to request this. A living allowance will be provided for you during the six months. You can choose to decline your inheritance, which in that case, Mr. Daniels has requested that everything be donated. If you choose to stay and then leave at any point within the six months, then the same will apply." When she made no move to reply, he continued. "You have 24 hours to decide. If I have not heard from you in that time frame, then I will assume you have declined the terms of the will."

Numb, Emily nodded, standing up and walking out without saying another word to him. She made it all the back to her room in the little inn before pulling out her phone.

"Em," her mother breathed out on the other end. "What happened? How did it go?"

Letting out a half laugh, Emily flopped onto the bed. "Dad was the world's biggest asshole."

"Well, I didn't expect him to leave us anything," her mother replied diplomatically.

"Oh no. He did worse, Mama." There was a slight pause.

"What?" she asked hesitantly.

"He left you everything inside the house, no strings attached."

"Burn it. I don't want it," Grace said quickly. Emily laughed. Her and her mother were alike in that way.

"Believe me, I want to."

"Was that it?"

"Not even. He left the house to me, along with $100,000 and a $50,000 trust fund for Hannah. On the condition that I move back here into that house for 6 months."

"You must be joking," Grace replied, shock evident in her voice.

"I wish I were." Emily let out a frustrated groan, standing up to pace around the room. "Ugh. You know Dad always liked to be in control. It's his last little sick, twisted way of trying to control me. Well you know what? Screw him. I don't need this in my life!"

Her mother's quiet voice spoke to her. "Em, that's a lot of money. Think about what this could mean for Hannah."

"What? Teach her that it's okay to give in just for money? No thanks. I don't want my daughter learning that."

"Honey, it's only six months. And besides, this could give you that extra cushion you need. You wouldn't have to worry."

"And my job, Mama? What do I do about that? And I can't leave Hannah for six months. There's no way."

"Hannah could come down there with you for the summer and spend the last few months with me, that way she wouldn't have to switch schools. As for your job…explain it to your boss. He's always been understanding before, especially whenever Hannah was sick and you had to take off."

Emily let out another large sigh, hand coming to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Mama, Logan's back."

"Oh," Grace said on a breath.

"Yeah. Oh," she repeated. Emily walked over to the window, looking at the town below her, but not really seeing. "Everyone will take one look at Hannah and know exactly who she belongs to. Her hair may be the same color as mine, but the rest of her is identical to Logan."

Grace was silent for a moment, giving them both time to think. "Emily, maybe you should tell him." Emily was quick to shut that down.

"Oh yeah, Mama. I can see it now. 'Hey Logan. Been a long time. Remember how we used to date before you up and left me? Well guess what came along right after? You have a daughter! Tada!'" She scoffed. "I'd rather not. He's better off not knowing."

She was met with a heavy sigh. "No matter what happened between you two, he has a right to know…" Emily cut her off.

"No. No he doesn't. We were supposed to go together. But instead he just left me, Mama. No note, no goodbye. Nothing. He made it clear that we were done. Besides, I couldn't have done that to him. Not when he was about to get his big break. What studio would want a guy with a knocked up girlfriend? I did the right thing, by both of us."

"I know he hurt you, baby. But…"

"No buts, Mama. You can't change the past. And I wouldn't even if I could."

Grace sighed once more. "Fine. Just think about the will, though. Your father was not the most pleasant man." She paused when her daughter gave an ungraceful snort. "But this could do a lot for you, for Hannah and her future. Think about it."

"Alright. I'll think about it. Call when you pick Hannah up from school so I can talk with her. Love you, Mama."

"Love you too."

* * *

Emily walked through the town, sunglasses hiding her face once more, hoping to stay unnoticed. The spring weather was beautiful, flowers blooming left and right, their fragrance permeating the air. She took it all in as she walked, trying to sort out of her options.

She was angry, there was no doubt about that. But she shouldn't have expected anything else from Clint. The man lived to control others. It was only fitting that he had the last say in this, even after his death. Unfortunately, one of the things she had inherited from him was her temper. She was so mad that her first instinct was to march over to the stately house she grew up in and torch it. It was a good thing she had called her mother. Grace always was a good balance.

It was a lot of money. Things weren't exactly easy up in New York. Sure, she had a good job, but it was also a ton of hours, meaning that Hannah had to stay with Grace when she got out of school. Emily would arrive home in the evenings, giving Hannah her bath before tucking her into bed. The only time she got to spend with her daughter was on weekends. The extra money would mean that she could cut back on her hours, giving her more time with her daughter.

Feeling completely confused, she took a seat on a bench next to the park playground.

The trust fund baffled her. Clint had kicked her out the moment she told them she was pregnant. He never liked Logan, meaning that most of their relationship was spent with Emily sneaking out the window to meet him, consequences be damned. The fact that she had gotten knocked up by him made Clint go over the edge. In a fit of rage, he threw things around, yelling and shouting at her to get out. No daughter of his was going to raise some bastard child under his roof.

Emily had left that night, never speaking to her father again. So why had he created a trust fund for the grandchild he so despised?

Regardless of the intentions, Emily had to admit that it would help a lot. And the trust fund could help pay for Hannah's college, if she decided that's what she wanted. It would help her daughter to have a future.

But six months down here? Six months in the town that she'd deserted, surrounded by memories of her childhood? Wasn't it enough that she saw the boy she loved in the face of her daughter every single day? And that brought up the other problem: Logan.

He was here. If he hadn't of been, Emily might have agreed to this a little bit easier. But how was she supposed to do this now? There was no way she was going to leave her daughter up in New York with her mom for six months. It was killing her to be away for even a few days. But bringing her here? She let out a half laugh to herself. That was just a disaster waiting to happen.

Emily stuck by what she did. When Logan left, it tore her up. And then finding out she was pregnant a week later? That was just the icing on the metaphorical shit filled cake. She could have contacted him; most girls probably would have. But as pissed off as Emily was, she didn't want to ruin his chances.

She did the right thing. He'd gone on to be some huge pop star plus an actor, or so she'd heard. And she had a beautiful little girl. Hannah was her whole world.

All she wanted was to come back, make her supposed peace with her dead father and then cut all ties from this place. Sighing, she stood up, resigned.

Twenty minutes later, Emily stood outside the law office, keys to her father's, soon to be her, house in her hand. She looked down at them, conflicting emotions registering in her eyes.

"Need to talk?"

Her eyes shot up to see Logan's familiar dark ones staring back at her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: I'm sorry this is coming out so late, but I had a really shitty day. I was in pain most of the day and then got called into work to build a display. That was joyful (can you sense my sarcasm?). I am exhausted, like my body is two seconds away from just dropping. But I wanted to get this out. I'm not too thrilled with some of it, but oh well.  
**

**I'm skipping the individual shout outs because of how exhausted I am. But please know that I appreciate EVERY single review, follow, favorite and alert! You have NO idea just how awesome all of y'all are!**

**But I am going to answer a few questions some of y'all had. First: James, Kate and the other guys will make appearances, but not a ton. It won't be like in "Just Might Make Me Believe." Logan's in a different state and all of the guys are kind of off doing their own thing now. But look for them to make cameos...maybe even soon. :) Logan & Emily's history will be revealed as the story goes on. You'll find out more about them, I promise! Hannah will be coming soon. And as for Logan finding out? Well...I suppose you'll just have to keep reading to see. :)**

* * *

"Need to talk?"

Her eyes shot up to see Logan's familiar dark ones staring back at her.

"Sorry if I startled you. It's just – you looked like you needed to talk. Something wrong?" Emily shook her head quickly and determinedly. "No. I'm fine."

"You planning on staying?" he asked, gesturing to the key in her hand. Glancing at the key and then back to his face, she tilted her head to the side.

"It looks that way," she answered slowly. She held up the key, a large 'D' carved into it. Logan's eyebrows furrowed together.

"Never thought you'd go back there."

Emily sighed. "I don't really have that much of a choice."

Logan continued to gaze at her, his dark eyes seeming to pierce into her. Too tired to deal with the ensuing emotions that would come with being around him, Emily sighed once more.

"I need to be going. I've got a hell hole to move into," she said, swinging the key in front of her face. She started to walk up the sidewalk, heading towards her car. Logan quickly fell into step beside her.

"Want some company?" he asked. Emily could have swore.

"No. I'm fine."

Logan put a hand on her arm. "Em, you're not fine. It may have been seven years, but I still know when you're upset."

Emily looked at him, face blank as she removed his hand.

"But the difference is that you no longer have the right to care."

With that, she walked off, leaving Logan staring after her.

* * *

The house stood in front of her, looming like an impending nightmare. Emily stood at the gate, eyes gazing at the structure, lost in thought.

From the outside, it looked like a picture perfect house. Two story, clean white. Vines had been cut, leaving it bare. A stone path led up to the front door from the gate that matched the house. Trees grew gracefully in front, branches neatly trimmed so they wouldn't obstruct the house. Emily knew that the inside matched the outside. But as beautiful as it looked, it was missing that element that turned it from a house into a home. It was cold, unwelcoming.

Deciding that she was being foolish, Emily unlatched the gate and walked towards the door. Using the large key, she opened the door, stepping into her childhood home for the first time since she had been kicked out.

Everything looked exactly the same. If it hadn't been so quiet, Emily would've thought she was 18 again, coming home after working at her high school job at the local ice cream parlor.

She was surprised to see pictures still hanging on the walls. Memories of her childhood faced her. Clint was never that concerned with photographic memories; Grace was the one who had insisted they be there. The fact that they still hung there after all these years took her by surprise.

The first thing Emily did was open all the blinds. She could never stand the darkness. Sunlight poured through the windows, brightening and completely changing the atmosphere. Room by room, she walked through the house, inspecting. And found nothing new.

She came to her old room last. Hand on the knob, she tried to turn it, but couldn't. Frowning, she pushed and twisted it again. Nothing.

"Damn it," she muttered. Of course. Clint had locked it. What better way to erase her than to pretend that room never existed? Emily had no idea where the key was that would let her in. Not that she really needed to get in. The only thing in that room was the past.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she gave up and headed towards the guest room. She refused to sleep in the master bedroom where her father had slept.

"Need some help?"

Emily screamed at the sound of a voice behind her. Hand over her heart, she whirled around to see Logan standing there, his hands raised in submission. Eyes wide and panting heavily, she stared at him.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" she practically yelled at him when she regained her voice. "And why the hell did you scare me like that?!"

"I um – I followed you. I know how much you dislike this house and I wanted to make sure you were okay. I tried ringing the doorbell, but apparently it's broken. Door was unlocked, so I came in."

Her heart was pounding violently from the shock. But shock didn't prevent anger from welling up in her.

"What part of 'I don't need you' do you not understand?" she asked. "Just because you feel a misplaced sense of compassion doesn't mean you can waltz on in here uninvited."

Logan sighed. His hands stuffed themselves in his front pockets as he eyed her. "Em, look. I know it's been a while and I know you're pissed at me, but…" He was cut off by her voice.

"No. No buts, Logan. It's been seven years. This is the first time we've seen each other since then. There's nothing between us anymore. And I don't feel like standing here rehashing the past with you. So please, just leave, or make no mistake, I will call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing," she threatened.

He looked at her, contemplating. Finally, he nodded briefly. He turned, but instead of walking towards the stairs, he went to her locked bedroom door. Pulling a pin out of his pocket, he began fiddling with the lock. Emily watched him wordlessly, eyebrows raising when he popped the lock, opening the door smoothly.

Standing up, Logan turned and shrugged. At her expression, Logan's lips just turned up in his signature crooked grin, making her heart flip flop slightly. "Never know when you'll need to pick a lock," he replied, waving the pin slightly before slipping it back in his pocket and leaving her standing there.

Emily stood there for a few moments, unsure of what to think. Her eyes were drawn to the light yellow walls in her old room, but she couldn't make herself move in that direction. Instead, she walked into the guest bedroom, sitting down lightly on the bed.

Her life had just turned upside down in span of a few hours. Hearing her father's will, learning that her father had remained a controlling jerk even in his death, seeing Logan back and then making the decision to stay. This was almost too much for her to process. And Emily was good at processing things, at dealing with situations like this.

But she wasn't prepared for seeing Logan again. And damn him and that stupid grin! How was it possible for her to still even have the slightest amount of feelings for him? How was that fair?

She was utterly exhausted from the emotional upheaval and it was barely noon. Emily laid down on the bed, curling up into a ball, and began to cry.

* * *

"Emily? Like the girl you almost left L.A. for?" Kendall asked on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah," Logan responded, adjusting his earpiece as he sped up on small back road he was driving.

"I thought she had left."

"So did I. At least, that's what I'd heard."

"What'd you do? What'd she say when she saw you?"

"Swore." Kendall laughed at his friend. Logan's lips turned up. "I shouldn't have expected anything else."

Kendall could hear the tone in his friend's voice, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "You still got feelings for her, man?"

Logan sighed. "I don't know. It's been so long. I think we were both taken by surprise." He paused for a moment. "She looks the same, except more…grown up. There's something there that's different."

"A lot changes in seven years, Logan. Look at us. We went from being nobodies to superstars."

"Yeah," Logan said, acknowledging his friend's words. "She's pissed. I didn't expect her to still be mad."

"Does she know that you came back for her?" Kendall asked.

"She should. I told her that I was going to in that letter I left her. But when I came back three weeks later, she had already left town."

"I remember. We had all just filmed the pilot and you went bat shit on us. Freaking out, talking about leaving to go search for her."

Logan was silent for a few moments, thinking back. "Sometimes I regret that I didn't." Before Kendall could speak, he continued on. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the show, for the band. But I sometimes wonder what things would have been like if I had gone after her."

"Well. She's there now. So what are you waiting for?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: I know, I know. I'm awful. Life gets in the way. And because of this, I should probably tell you that most of the time I will not be able to update daily. More like every other day or so.  
**

**But MAN. Y'alls response to this has been...insane. Like. Huh. Didn't expect that at all. But it is SO appreciated. I love each and every one of you readers! And to those who review, message, favorite, alert, follow and whatever other button you press, THANK YOU. I greatly appreciate it!**

**SuperSillyStories - Yeah. Logan was def not thinking clearly. I probably would've attacked first, asked questions later if it had been me. Lol.  
Guest - Thank you! It was def better - pain is gone! Logan def still has feelings for her, whether or not he realizes it. And of course, I have to include the guys in some way! :)Logan's Honey Pie - YAY! I'm glad you're liking it! You're right; Logan's still got feelings for her, even if he doesn't know it. Lol. Oh man. Hannah coming is going to change a LOT. Even I can't wait for Logan to find out!  
Paumichyy - Ahhh! Yes, he did come back for her! Idk if it will change anything in Emily's mind...we'll just have to wait and see! ;) And MAN. Things are def going to change when Hannah comes.  
Tokala - Bahahaha! I loled at that. I'm so glad that someone caught onto that!  
Emy . Elle - Well. Going to be honest. Her dad's a total jerk. Don't know that he would've done something like that. It'd be nice, but I can't really say. Hah. And as for the letter...we'll find out what happened to that eventually. ;)  
Carlos'sCupcake - Bahaha. I'm sorry for playing with your emotions! We'll find out about the letter sometime down the road...as I suspect Emily will too. ;) And thank you! It was def a better day, pain is completely gone! So heck yes!  
SeraphinaCruz - I couldn't NOT include the guys...it'd just be too weird. Lol. Awww, thank you! I totally feel you though, and I'm impressed. I have THE worst time holding back when I'm in public. I have been on the receiving end of quite a few odd looks. Lol.**

* * *

After two days of hiding out, Emily decided she should probably show her face in town. By now she knew that everyone was aware that there was someone living in the Daniels household. And being in a small town, rumors flew quicker than designer shoes at a clearance sale. Despite this, Emily had decided to keep her reasoning for being there to herself.

Hannah would be arriving the following week. She still hadn't decided how to tell Logan. In fact, she was kind of hoping that he would decide to go back to his Hollywood lifestyle before Hannah arrived. Of course, that would solve nothing. There was no question about Hannah's paternity. Even if Logan weren't here, everyone else in town would know the moment they looked at her daughter. And word would travel to him quick as lightning.

Emily opened the front door to find herself faced with another long ago familiar face.

"Well if it isn't Miss Sunshine herself," said a perky brunette. Despite herself, Emily laughed.

"Cassie," she said, a smile on her face. Before she could even blink, she was pulled into a deceptively tight hug from her old friend. "Oh it's good to see you."

She pulled back to look at the woman in front of her. She was petite, so small you would think that just one gust of wind would be enough to knock her over. Emily knew from experience though, that it took a hell of a lot more to mess with Cassie. Bright blue eyes returned her gaze, puzzlement in them.

"What? You didn't think you could come home after all these years and not see me, did you?" she asked. Once again, Emily let out a laugh.

"Of course not."

"I knew it was you staying here, and that you'd be hiding, holed up in this place. So I came to drag your ass out into the real world."

Just like that, it was as if the years between them didn't exist. Emily supposed that's what best friends did; that they had the ability to pick back up like no time had passed at all.

"I'm in the real world and it sucks. Big time," she replied. Cassie grabbed her hand and pulled her outside. Arm in arm like a couple of school girls, they began walking up the pathway.

"Don't I know it. Come on. Let's get something completely fattening and you can tell me why you decided it'd be a good idea to stay in that depressing place."

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting on the grass in the park, each with a pint of Ben & Jerry's, unashamedly downing the contents. When Emily finished talking, Cassie held her spoon up, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"So let me get this straight. Logan leaves, you find out you're pregnant then you leave. Your mom follows later, you both move to New York. Asshole dad dies and you come back to deal with the pesky detail of his estate. Then you find out that he pulls a shit move from beyond that means you're stuck here for six months and have to live in that nightmare house or else the trust fund he secretly set up will go bye-bye?"

When Emily nodded, Cassie swore and dug her spoon back into the Rocky Road pint, lifting out a huge chunk. "Well damn. And I thought I had problems when my hair dryer quit on me this morning."

Emily couldn't help it, she laughed. "I have missed you so much, Cass."

She was met with a bright smile. "Right back atcha babe." She paused to take another bite. "So what the hell are you going to do about all of this? What about Logan? How are you going to tell him about Hannah?"

She sighed, twisting the spoon around in her almost empty carton.

"I don't know. How do you tell someone that they've got a six year old daughter that they had no clue about? And we're not exactly on good terms."

"Seems to me that's one-sided." Emily looked up, irritated. Emotions getting the better of her, she retorted.

"Well what the hell am I supposed to feel? He left me and didn't look back. I ended up alone and pregnant at 18, kicked out of my own house because my father thought I was the closest thing to an abomination." Emily spooned out the last bit of ice cream. "But you know what? I got over it. And I managed on my own, without him. So now that we're both back, he what? Expects me to just jump back into his arms, no questions asked, as if we're both teenagers again?"

She shook her head fiercely at her friend, green eyes full of determination. "Well, I've got news for him and the rest of this town. It's not going to happen! This place may not have changed all that much, but I have. I'm not that same girl he seems to think I am. And I'm not some crazed fan girl that's going to just drop at his feet either. Nope. As far as I'm concerned, Logan Mitchell can go straight to hell."

Emily finished her tirade, slamming the lid onto the now empty pint. Cassie stared at her before breaking out into giggles, Emily joining her after a few moments pause. Finally, Cassie regained the ability to speak.

"Feel good to let that all out?" she asked her friend, a grin on her face.

"Surprisingly, yes. I didn't realize I had that much anger still in me. Honestly, I didn't realize that I still had any type of emotion left for him."

Cassie didn't respond right away, hesitant to say the next thing to her friend.

"Still, he is here," she said slowly. "And you're going to have to tell him about Hannah."

Emily sighed. "I know." She laid back on the grass. "Why couldn't they have warned us when we were younger about the dangers and difficulties of being an adult?"

"I think they did. We just never listened."

* * *

By the end of the first week, Emily had been reacquainted with almost everyone she knew from before. Most tried to offer their condolences on her father's passing. As much as Emily wanted to reject them, she didn't. Instead, she politely accepted them, quickly turning the conversation away.

She had seen Logan once more, in passing as she went for her morning coffee. This time they managed to bypass each other. Emily still hadn't figured out how to approach him about Hannah. It was completely cowardly, but she tried to avoid him until she could decide how to do it.

Meanwhile, she had spent all of her free time trying to fix the house. There wasn't anything wrong with it, per say. But if Emily was forced to live here, then she was going to do it on her terms. Grace, being the owner of all the contents inside, had told her to do whatever she wanted with them. She never wanted to see them again anyways.

Emily had half a mind to actually burn all of it. But the organizer in her knew she had to go through it before tossing it. She went room by room, trying to transform the place into somewhere that wasn't filled with bad memories. She didn't want Hannah living in that.

The first time she walked into her old bedroom, she just stopped and stared. She thought back, remembering the last time she had been in that room. The scene played before her eyes, voices from long ago speaking as if it was happening in that very moment.

_"Emily, honey. You can't really be leaving," Grace pleaded with her daughter, checking anxiously over her shoulder for her husband. Emily threw some items into the large duffel, essentials that she would need. She zipped it up, turning to face her mother._

_ "I can't stay, Mama. I can't be here, in this house with _him_," she responded, venom in her voice at the reference to her father. _

_ She was surprisingly calm as she slung the bag over her shoulder, at least on the exterior. Her heart felt like it was going to beat right out of her chest and nerves jumped in her stomach at what she was about to do. But she knew that this was it.  
_

_ "He – he doesn't mean it. He's just mad. Give him time…" Emily cut off her mother with a humorless laugh._

_ "Of course he means it, Mama. When has he ever not meant something? He doesn't want me, us," she said, placing a hand over her flat stomach. "…here. And I don't want to be here either."_

_ "You're just going to Cassie's right?" Grace asked desperately. "Please tell me that you aren't leaving town."_

_ Emily thought about lying, but she couldn't do that to her mom. Grace may still be under Clint's control, but her mom had always loved her. The thought of leaving her mom here, alone with Clint, broke Emily's heart. But she knew that Grace wasn't ready to leave. Emily though, knew she couldn't stay another minute. The boy she thought she knew had left her. She was pregnant and her father had threatened her with numerous things if she didn't get out. Emily was heartbroken, but she knew she had to be strong.  
_

_This was what she had to do. If she wanted even a chance at being better, at doing something with her life, then she had to get out; get away from this place. It was the only way they'd have a chance._

_ She hugged her mom, holding on longer than necessary before pulling away and walking to the doorway. Standing there, she took one last look at her room. Her mother stood, tears pouring down her cheeks._

_ "I'm sorry, Mama. There's nothing left for me here. I love you," she responded before turning and walking out, determined to go before her heart tried to hold her back.  
_

For a moment, Emily thought she was going to cry. Shaking herself out of it, she started packing up things, her old mementos that she was sure Grace had convinced Clint not to destroy. This would be Hannah's room and Emily didn't want the past to overwhelm either of them.

Slowly, she was starting to see a difference. She had taken down every single picture hanging on the walls, packing away some, tossing most. Instead of putting up photos, Emily decided she wanted prints. Landscape scenes, prints of places she'd always wanted to go. She headed to one of the local stores, hoping to find a few items that would catch her eye.

Luck was on her side. She managed to find several, including a rather large framed print of an ocean scene. Emily had managed to get the others out to her car, but was struggling with this one in particular. No matter what way she tried, it just wouldn't fit properly with everything else.

"I hate to ask again, but need some help?"

Mentally groaning, Emily turned to see Logan standing there, hands in his front pockets. She thought about ignoring him, but just as she was getting ready to implement this idea, he stepped up and effortlessly took the frame from her.

"Let me. It'll fit no problem in my car. I'll just bring it to you," he said.

"That really won't be necessary…," she started. Logan just waved her off.

"It's not a big deal. Besides, it clearly isn't going to fit in there with the rest of your stuff. I'll meet you there."

Before she could even argue, he had walked off, carrying the frame as if it weighed nothing. He had just maneuvered his way into coming to her house like it was no big deal. Annoyance flashed in her at how easily he had managed to do that. She got into her car, slamming the door and speeding off towards the house. Taking a few moments before he arrived, Emily sat, head on her steering wheel, breathing deeply.

Maybe Logan talking himself into coming over to her house was an opening. She could put aside her anger at him long enough to tell him about Hannah, right? Letting out a half laugh, she got out as his car pulled up next to hers. Swearing mentally, Emily wished beyond anything for a stiff drink. Logan was going to be in for one hell of a surprise.


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Notes: Yay! Finally had time to sit down and write! Once again, a HUGE thank you to everyone who reads and reviews. Your comments and messages mean a LOT to me, so thank you! :)**

**Emy . Elle - Awww yay! Ahahaha. Screaming? Hmmm...possibly. ;)  
Tokala - To be fair, she doesn't know Logan the pop star. She knew Logan from childhood. Ahahaha. Hannah will be coming soon! I promise!  
Carlos'sCupcake - Of course I ended it there! Cliffhangers are a writers best friend! Lol. Moment is coming...soon. :)  
Paumichyy - Oh Logan's reaction is definitely going to be interesting...when and if he finds out!  
Logan's Honey Pie - It's def good that she's reconnecting with people, esp since she's stuck in that place for six months. And Logan just has a sneaky little way of showing up at just the right moment! Lol. And you could be right with the impending drama... ;)  
SuperSillyStories - I really loved the line. It's probably one of my favorite's that I've written. Hah. Yeah, it probably wouldn't have been good if she had hit Logan with the brand new print. Bahahaha.  
Guest - Thank you! I'm so glad that you're liking it that much! Hannah will be coming in the next few chapters. And Logan's reaction? Hmmm...guess you'll have to wait and see about that. :)  
SeraphinaCruz - Oh you hit the nail on the head there EXACTLY; he's def trying to worm his way back in. I have a feeling you might be right about Emily... ;)  
RandomWriter23 - Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it! Logan's reaction is coming soon!  
Sandra - Thanks! I'm glad you love it!**

* * *

"Where do you want it?" Logan asked, lifting the rather large portrait out of his backseat. Emily didn't bother replying. Instead, she lifted her hand and beckoned for him to follow her inside. Logan rolled his eyes and followed behind her.

"You got a place in mind? I could go ahead and hang it up for you," he said once they were in the hallway.

"I can do it just fine, thanks," Emily replied. The hint of frost in her voice caused Logan to snap.

"Would it kill you to be nice, even for two seconds?" Logan asked, frustration evident on his face. "I've been nothing but that since we both rolled back into town. Hell, I just carted this oversize frame out here so you didn't have to make two trips. I know we've got our differences, but can't you even say thanks?"

His outburst shocked her. Not that she wasn't used to yelling. They used to have screaming matches at each other when they were together. It was that familiarity of it that got to her. Emily stood there, rooted to the spot, staring at him. She wasn't ready for that, for the sudden closeness she felt to him.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded at him in surrender. "You're right," she said, quietly.

"Damn it, Em, why can't you – wait. What?" he asked, clearly confused. "You just agreed with me?"

This time it was Emily's turn to roll her eyes. "Yes, you idiot. Don't make me take it back."

Logan rocked back on his heels. The amusement on his face changed. He looked at her, appraising.

"You have changed. You used to always fight it out with me."

Emily shrugged at him. "Things change, Logan. People change." She started to turn around, but stopped, relenting. "Would you like something to drink?" His eyebrows raised in question at her. "You brought my portrait out here. And you're about to hang it up in there above the fireplace," she said, pointing towards the living room. "The least I could do is give you something to drink."

Logan recognized it for what it was; a peace offering. He nodded, accepting it, taking what he could.

"Sweet tea?" she asked.

"I don't know. You've been up north for so long. I don't know that I'd trust sweet tea made by a Yankee," he replied, a grin lighting his face at her expression.

She started to give him an angry retort, but realized that he was just messing with her. A smile twitched at her lips, but she held it back in favor of flipping him off as she headed towards the kitchen.

"Still the same asshole," he heard her say as she walked through the doorway. Logan let out a laugh and picked up the frame.

"Still the same attitude."

When Emily returned from the kitchen, it was to see Logan finishing up. He was just stepping off the step ladder, inspecting the placement.

"It's crooked," Emily said, a smirk on her face. Logan turned to her.

"Like hell it is," he replied. He took one of the tall glasses she held and stepped back to view the print with her. "You've a good eye. It looks good there."

"Thanks," she said, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch from him, a little unsure. "And thank you for doing that." She gestured up to the portrait. Logan gave a small nod of acknowledgement.

"No problem." He took a long swig of his tea and eyed her. "So what are you doing here, in this house? What brought you back?"

She didn't respond immediately. Emily didn't want everyone to know the real reason she was back. Cassie was one thing, but everyone else, Logan included? Why should they know that even at 25 years old, Emily was still being controlled by her deceased father?"

"I'm here for work," she answered slowly. Genuine interest showed on his face.

"What do you do?" Swearing inwardly, Emily tried to think of what to say. She settled on a version of the truth.

"I'm an executive assistant to a CEO for an interior design company."

"Impressive. But what are doing out here then?"

"I'm doing some…research." Logan raised an eyebrow at her in interest.

"Research?"

"Yes," she replied sharply. Trying to deflect, she turned the tables on him. "Well why are you out here? Aren't you some big pop star now?"

"We finished the show. And the band decided to take a break. We're all kind of at a crossroads now."

Emily could see the indecision in his face. Before she could stop herself, she spoke. "Is that why you came home? To decide what to do?"

He looked up at her, an odd expression on his face. "Yeah. I guess so." He leaned back against the couch, letting out a sigh. "The others seem to know what they're doing. Yet here I am, still unsure of what I want. Kendall's got his other band. Carlos is starting on some new music. And James." He laughed thinking of James. "Man. James has got a new gig on TV. And he's got his family. I don't think any of us expected James to be the first to get married and have kids."

Taking another drink, Logan missed the sharp look Emily sent to him. "Um – why is that?" she choked out, trying to sound casual. He laughed again.

"It's James," he said as if in explanation. "Him and Kate are great together. It happened so fast though. Within six months they were married. I've never seen James move so quickly. It hasn't been easy for them, but they've made it work. And now they have Naomi." A smile appeared on his face, thinking of the small child. "That little girl, she just kind of completes them, you know?"

His eyes met hers, the deep green softening at his words. "Yeah. I do know," she replied softly.

There was something there, something in her eyes that Logan couldn't quite place. He stared intently at her for a few moments before shaking himself out of it. Emily opened her mouth to speak, her face determined, but she was stopped by Logan continuing on.

"Still, they're so young. I love Naomi, but I couldn't imagine being in James' shoes right now. Trying to juggle a family along with your new career? No thanks," he said.

Emily's heart stopped at his words. She mentally swore again, trying to figure out what to do. There was no way she could tell him about Hannah right now. She needed time to regroup, to think it over.

"Right," she replied to him, slowly. Her eyes drifted off, unfocused. Logan noticed the tone in her voice and sat up a little straighter, peering at her.

"Are you okay, Em?" he asked. Immediately, her eyes snapped back to his.

"Yes. Of course. I um – I should really get back to…what I was doing before…," she trailed off lamely.

Logan saw right through her excuse, but decided to let it be, knowing when to forfeit. He stood up to leave. "Let me take you to dinner sometime," he started. Emily shook her head at him.

"Logan…"

"No look. We were in the same house, hell the same room for over thirty minutes and you didn't try to murder me. I think we could handle dinner together," Logan retorted, trying to convince her.

A smile twitched at her lips. "You're not going to shut up about this or leave me alone until I say yes, are you?"

All Emily got in response was his signature crooked grin. She rolled her eyes. "Fine. But nothing fancy. And don't you dare try to pull anything, Logan," she threatened. "It's just a simple dinner, nothing more. This isn't high school, we aren't teenagers anymore."

"Duly noted," he replied. Despite his response, Emily felt her concern grow at the glint in his eyes. Before she could say anything, he sauntered out of the room towards her front door. He paused in the doorway. "I'll pick you up tomorrow. Seven o'clock."

With that, Logan Mitchell walked out of the house, just a smoothly as he had entered. Emily was left sitting on her couch, wondering what the hell she had just agreed to.


	6. Chapter 6

**Authors Note: Y'all are SO amazing! You're reviews mean the world to me! Thank you so incredibly much!  
**

**SuperSillyStories - You want Carlos? Hmmm...I'll see what I can arrange in Raleigh. :D Lol. OMG. WAIT. GREAT IDEA that totally has NOTHING to do with this story. Kidnap Carlos and bring him along on the road trip. Hell, Ima kidnap them ALL. THAT WOULD BE LITERALLY BE THE GREATEST ROAD TRIP IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. I WIN.  
Guest - Logan def misses the guys. And him and Em have easiness between due to their history...until he ruined that. Bahaha. His reaction to family + kids def was not what Emily wanted to hear. Idk about the guys meeting Emily & Hannah...at least not right now. But we'll see! I'm SO glad that you like this story so much!  
Logan's Honey Pie - Oh you know it couldn't be that easy for her to tell him! :P But it IS coming. Emily's gonna have to tell him SOON. Lol!  
Emy . Elle - You always feel differently about a subject when it goes from hypothetical to reality; I have a feeling that's true for Logan. I'm sorry! I promise, at some point you will DEF see a screaming match. I specialize in those. :D  
Tokala - Bahahaha. I know, I loled when I wrote that line.  
**

* * *

"It's just dinner, Emily."

Emily let out a frustrated sigh at her mother's patient voice. "There is no such thing as 'just dinner' with Logan, Mama. I was so stupid for agreeing to this. I knew better. Hell, I knew better than to stay in this town. I should just call it quits now."

"Emily Maureen Daniels you will do no such thing," came Grace's sharp reply. Emily immediately straightened up at the tone. "You agreed to the terms of the will. I know it's hard, but you're doing this for Hannah. As for Logan, you agreed to dinner with him. And you don't back out on your word."

She sighed again, rolling her eyes at her mother over the phone.

"Fine. I'll go to dinner with him. But it doesn't mean that I have to be nice the entire time."

"Are you going to tell him about Hannah then?" Grace asked.

"No. I don't know," came her daughter's reply. "I'm still not sure what to say to him. Or when."

"Well you better do it soon. Hannah's coming next week. She's so excited to fly on her first airplane."

"You're going to make sure that she's okay, right Mama? That there's an attendant there to watch over her?" Emily asked, worry seeping in.

"Of course, honey. Hannah's not the first child to fly unaccompanied. And you know I'll make sure that she's okay."

She nodded, even though Grace couldn't see her. "I know. It's just…Hannah's my baby. I'm nervous for her."

"It's a short flight. And you know, it's all she can talk about. She's telling all her friends here about how she's flying halfway across the world to her Mom."

Emily laughed. She could just see her daughter's face, dark eyes wide with excitement, unknowingly exaggerating the details to any and everyone within earshot. She almost felt bad for the person who would be watching over her on the flight. Emily knew from experience that Hannah could talk your ear off if you gave her half a chance.

"Speaking of Hannah, you know you have to talk to her as well before she meets Logan."

Sitting down on the bed, Emily pinched the bridge of her nose. "I know, Mama. I just want to wait until she's here. I'm not telling my daughter about her father over the phone." She looked up at the clock and sighed once more. "I need to go get ready. Logan will be here soon."

They said their goodbyes and hung up, leaving Emily alone once more. She glanced around, unsure of what to prepare for.

She opened the front door thirty minutes later, dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a cotton button down blouse. Logan looked her up and down, an appreciative grin on his face.

"You always did simple best, Em." She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I'm not sure if I should be insulted or not."

He didn't reply. Instead, he grinned at her and grabbed her hand. "Come on." He dragged her behind himself, almost like a couple of kids running carelessly down the walkway. He helped her into his car, surprising Emily. She knew Logan was smooth, but she never remembered him being this smooth.

She waited to speak until they had pulled away from the house.

"So where are we going?"

"Can't you just relax for a few moments? Enjoy the ride."

Emily opened her mouth to retort, but shut it quickly, deciding to save her breath. Logan was just as stubborn as she was. And well, she'd rather not argue with him at this moment. She had a feeling there'd be a lot more yelling later on.

So she sat back as he drove through the town, surprised when he turned out of the downtown area, heading out towards the familiar back roads. Emily was lost in thought as the trees passed by, remembering. Whenever she'd had it, had been too wound up, Logan would come get her, helping her climb out the window of her house. She'd jump into his mustang, loving the feel of the night air whipping through her long blonde hair as they flew out of town, down these same roads.

They'd end up in the woods, staring up at the stars, talking about the plans they had. The dreams they were going to find together. She would lay back, encircled in his arms, convinced that this was all she would ever need. That she'd be happy as long as Logan was with her.

But those days were gone. And Emily had learned that she could be happy on her own, without him. These roads, the memories, it was all too familiar for her. Uncomfortable and feeling smothered by them, Emily turned to him.

"Logan…," she started. The car suddenly stopped and Logan grinned at her.

"We're here. Come on."

Before she could say anything else, Logan got out of the car, grabbing a basket and blanket that she hadn't noticed from the backseat. Slowly, she got out of the car and followed behind him, walking on the same old dirt road until they came to a small clearing.

Emily stood there, watching silently as Logan set everything up. He sat down and motioned for her to join him. But she couldn't. She just stood there, looking at him.

"Logan," she said quietly. "Why did you bring me here?"

The tone in her voice surprised Logan. He knew that Emily wouldn't be jumping for joy, but he didn't expect the quietness, the weariness that he heard.

"It's our first dinner in seven years. Why not go on neutral ground?"

"This is anything but neutral ground."

"Not true. We both have equal ties to this place." When she still gave no sign of moving, he continued. "Look, Emily. You said simple. You can't get much more simple than this," he said, gesturing to the finger foods he had spread out. "Please."

Teenage Emily might have stormed off, pissed at Logan's presumptuousness. Adult Emily, though, had little bit more self control. Not much, admittedly, but enough for the moment. She sat down slowly, eying Logan. He handed her a tumbler filled with sweet tea and began to eat, gesturing for her to do so as well. After a moment of hesitation, she joined in.

"You know, this doesn't change things, Logan," Emily said after a few moments. He looked at her in question. "Bringing me back out here," she said, gesturing around to the woods they were surrounded by. "We aren't the same anymore. We're not teenagers. You can't expect us to just pick back up where we left off."

Logan looked at her, considering. He nodded slowly in acknowledgement, taking a drink of his tea.

"You're right."

This time it was Emily's turn to be surprised. "You agree with me?" He nodded once more, a small smirk appearing on his face.

"Feels weird, right?" Conceding, Emily laughed. Logan continued on. "We can't go back. And we can't start up where we last were. But why can't we start from now?"

Emily's heart thudded in her chest at the look Logan gave her. She set down her plate and shook her head, a small line of frustration already appearing between her brows.

"It's not that simple, Logan."

Logan was quick to respond. "Why not? Why can't it be that simple?"

She hesitated, heart pounding as she thought about what to say. This was it. She was going to tell him.

"Logan, so much has changed. I'm not the same girl you thought I was. In fact, there's something you should know…"

"You may not be exactly the same, but the girl I loved is still in there, Em. I may not know everything about you now, but I still remember the way the light played on your hair; I thought the sun was going to come bursting forth from it. How the green in your eyes deepened whenever you were upset. How impulsive you were. How stubborn you were. How you stuck it out at home, even when your Dad was being a royal jackass. How determined you were. You were always so driven, determined to make your own way. And you have."

Emily stared at him, words failing her. Logan looked intensely at her. "Em, the past few months have been weird for me. I'm still trying to figure out which way I want my career to go. I thought I could come back here, figure things out. Then I saw you again. It was like someone hit me over the head with a brick." He paused once more, searching her eyes for some sort of response. "I know we're not the same, but I want to see if there's anything still here. I want to know _this_ you. I want that opportunity."

He reached out, a hand cupping her cheek. The skin on skin contact jarred Emily. She moved away quickly, standing up and backing away from him.

"You – you don't get that opportunity," she replied. "You left, Logan. With no explanation. Any right you had to me, to caring, to wanting anything, died with that."

Logan quickly stood up, yet kept his distance from her. He was smart enough to know that.

"I came back, Emily. I came back for you."

Her eyes widened briefly at him before narrowing in derision. "Don't lie to me Logan."

Anger flashed in his dark orbs, impatience clear in his posture.

"I wouldn't lie to you about that. I came back for you," he repeated.

Emily shook her head, backing up even further. Logan saw her inching away and he took a few steps closer, trying to bridge the gap.

"No. You didn't. And even if you had, it would've been too late. You broke my heart when you left. But I grew up with Clint Daniels, where love was a rare commodity. So heart break from a sorry son of a bitch like you? Well I got over it. And I'm doing just fine without you," she spat at him.

"I can see that. But did you think about this?" he asked right before he moved. In two strides, he was in front of her. He grabbed her arms, yanking her up against him and covering her mouth with his own.

It was like coming back home, was all either of them could think. Even after all those years, they still fit easily together. Her lips melded against his, almost involuntarily. Her mind was clouding over, but before it could be lost, she came to, pushing him away.

"No. Don't touch me," she gasped out. "You – you don't get to do that."

Logan saw the confusion in her eyes, saw her struggling to regain her footing. The reckless male in him was proud enough of being able to unsettle her still with just a kiss. But the other part of him was a little concerned at her expression.

"Em," he said, reaching out towards her. But Emily shook her head violently at him, eyes flashing.

"No. I'm no longer your Em, anymore."

He held his hands up in submission. "There's still something here."

"I don't care. I don't care if lights flashed, fireworks burst. Hell, even if the heavens opened up and angels sang while the world's largest pyrotechnic show happened all around us, it wouldn't matter! It still wouldn't change a damn thing, Logan."

Logan refused to back down. He moved closer to her, arguing back.

"You may be pissed off, Emily. But there's still something there between us. And I'm not going to just let it be," he fought back, tone hard, determined.

"You made your choice when you left me seven years ago Logan. This time, you have no choice. Just leave me the hell alone!" she yelled before taking off at a run into the woods.


	7. Chapter 7

**Authors Notes: Thank y'all, once again, for all of your support. Every single review, message, alert, follow and favorite honestly makes me smile. It means so much to me that y'all take the time to actually comment and review. So thank you for that! :)**

**Sorry if this seems to be moving slowly, but I promise that things will pick up soon! And for those SUPER excited for Hannah..I promise that it won't be TOO much longer!  
**

**SuperSillyStories - Oh it's not bad at all...I love it too! Being stubborn is the BEST. Lmao.  
Guest - Ahahaha. They LOVE to fight. It's almost like second nature to them at this point. Lol. You won't have to wait TOO much longer for Hannah! And you're right...things almost ALWAYS get worse before better. What can I say? I love drama. Lol.  
AndiHenderson - She's def stubborn, but can you blame her? She thinks that Logan left without any type of explanation. I'd be pissed too! Lol. And the truth about Hannah will come to light...soon!  
Logan's Honey Pie - Logan is DEF just as stubborn, which is really good! He's really trying with her. Bahaha. I'm glad you like the drama...because I love it! :)  
Tokala - There's def been a huge misunderstanding! But hopefully they'll be able to work it out.  
Emy . Elle - Ohhhh that wasn't even close to a screaming match. I've got even better in store. :) Unexpected kisses are the best. And running away? Yep. I probably would've too. Lol.  
Carlos'sCupcake - I'M SORRY. But my Logan feels are through the roof too...might as well drag someone else with me! :) Logan really has a way of messing things up unintentionally. Lol. And staaaaahp with the compliments! It's totally not that great. Just kind of random. Lol. If anyone's gifted, it's YOU. :)  
SeraphinaCruz - Thank you! I wasn't sure about writing anyone else other than James, so I'm glad that you like it. Makes me feel better! Now why would you think it's going to blow up in their faces... ;) Lol!  
RandomWriter23 - Wow! Thank you! Glad you like it! :)**

* * *

She knew it was cowardly. But Emily couldn't stand it, being there with him. Hearing Logan say all those things. And then kissing him? That wasn't supposed to happen. So she took off, running into the woods. She was almost surprised that Logan didn't come after her; he knew the woods just as well as she did. But she was grateful he hadn't.

One call and Cassie came right over, alcohol in hand. They sat up that night, drinking and bashing men in general. When Emily woke the next morning, it was to find both her and Cassie, passed out haphazardly across the bed. Moving slowly, so as not to wake her friend, Emily walked downstairs, intent on starting up a large pot of coffee. A knock on the door had her swearing, clutching her head.

When she opened the door, she was greeted to a large vase of flowers sitting on her doorstep. Tulips and roses of every color shone brightly in the morning light. Warily, Emily picked them up and took them inside, depositing them on the kitchen counter. She plucked off the note attached to the vase, squinting to read it.

_"Em, They reminded me of you. – L."_

She stood there, staring at the flowers in front of her, shock radiating off her in waves. When Cassie descended the stairs minutes later, it was to find her friend still standing there, staring.

"Mmm…you got someone's attention. Who sent those?"

Wordlessly, Emily handed her the card. A brief glance at it had Cassie smiling.

"Good boy," she murmured slightly before looking at up at her still shocked friend.

"He sent me flowers. He's never done that before," Emily finally managed to say.

"Looks like he's trying now." Emily gave her friend a sharp, sarcastic look. Cassie raised her hands in defense. "I'm just saying, Em. What's wrong with seeing if anything's still there?"

Emily swore. She turned and pulled out two mugs, pouring the hot coffee into them. She gave one to Cassie, slapping the container of sugar in between them for Cassie to use. Emily decided to drink it black, hoping it would help her pounding head. She swore again as Cassie gave her a calculating stare over her mug.

"Just because he's decided to grow up and be all charming doesn't mean shit. I know he's some huge star now, but that doesn't mean I should just fall in line, into his little plan, doing exactly what he wants. I am my own person," she said forcefully. "And I don't want to test things out with him again. I have no interest in Logan Mitchell anymore."

"The look on your face when you saw those flowers said otherwise."

She flipped off Cassie, refilling up her coffee mug once more. Cassie sighed, taking a moment to think.

"You know, he did come back."

Emily's head flew up quickly to stare at her. "What?" she asked sharply.

"Logan. He came back a few weeks after he left, looking for you. He went crazy when he found out you had left town. He seemed convinced that you were going to be here, ready to go with him."

She scoffed, halfheartedly. "Why the hell would he think that? He left me with no explanation. If anything, he should've been expecting me to bash his head in with a baseball bat if I had still been here."

Lifting her mug up and drinking deeply, Emily stared off, thoughts running crazily. After a few moments, she looked to Cassie, eyebrows furrowed together. "He really came back for me?" she questioned, a curious lilt to her voice. Cassie nodded.

"He did."

Emily blew out a breath and pushed the hair back from her face, trying to process. Shaking her head quickly, her eyes snapped clear.

"It doesn't matter," she replied to Cassie. "Even if he came back, it doesn't change the fact that he left to begin with." Cassie opened her mouth to respond, but Emily lifted her hand to stop her. "Even if I wanted to start something up with him again, I can't. It's not just me anymore. I have Hannah to think about."

"Hannah is Logan's." Emily gave her a patient smile.

"I know. But him being her biological father doesn't mean anything. I don't introduce men to Hannah unless I'm dead sure on them, which has never happened. I don't want her to get attached to someone that won't be there. I'm not putting my little girl through that."

"You don't know how Logan's going to react to Hannah," Cassie pointed out. "This isn't just some other guy's kid. This is his daughter too." Emily just sighed.

"Yes. But Logan's a huge star now. He may not have time for her. Or may not want to be involved at all. He may be her father, but I'm not starting a relationship up with him just for him to leave again. Hollywood's not just calling his name this time, Cass. It's contracted him and waiting for him to come back. I'm not putting me or Hannah through that."

Cassie looked at her friend, realizing that her mind was set. She nodded in defeat, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, it's your life. You know best. But you need to talk to him, before Hannah gets here. And this time, try not to run off when he pisses you off again."

Emily laughed. "Considering he pisses me off all the time, I'll try to restrain myself."

* * *

For the next few days, Emily kept receiving various things from Logan, each arriving multiple times a day, a confusingly sweet card attached. More flowers, a large bag of Reese's (which honestly, how fair was that? He knew her weakness for them) and a ton of garden supplies. There were various plants, tools, fertilizer, bricks to go around her different plots and pretty stepping stones.

She had to give him points for creativity. He knew that she loved working outside, hands sifting through the dirt, creating something pretty for everyone to look at. Who else would think to do that?

At first she let it all sit there in the hallway, deciding to be resolute, ignoring them. But after only a few hours, she caved. Within a few minutes she had dragged it all outside, immediately getting started. She spent hours out there, broken out of her work only by the ringing of her phone. Smiling at the screen, she answered.

"Hi baby," she said, resting the phone on her shoulder.

"Momma!" came her daughter's excited voice. "Guess how many days till I fly?"

Emily pretended to think. "Hmmm…I don't know. Five?"

She was met with small giggles, causing her to grin and laugh along with her.

"No silly! One! I get to fly on a big plane tomorrow!"

"Are you excited, sunshine?" she asked, worry creeping into her voice. She could practically see her daughter bounding around the room.

"Yeah! Grandma says that I get a special seat and a person with me and a special necklace that says who I am."

Emily smiled into the phone. "Sounds like you're just special all around."

That was how Logan saw her as he walked around to the back of her house. She was laughing, a large smile lighting up her face. He stood there, leaning against the white fence, remembering when that smile was meant for him. As he watched her, he became more determined to win that smile back.

As her conversation winded down, he walked up to her, clearing his throat slightly to grab her attention. He watched her eyes widen, swearing that he saw panic in them for a brief second.

"I'll talk to you later tonight, okay? I love you too, baby," she said, a soft tone to her voice. She hung up the phone, slipping it into her pocket before looking up at Logan. "Can I help you?"

Logan stared down at her, jealously flaring hotly in his chest. Who was she referring to that way? He hadn't even entertained the notion that she could possibly be seeing someone else. But now he wasn't so sure.

"I came to see if you got everything," he replied, gesturing to the garden supplies spread out around her. Emily looked around, resolve weakening.

"Yes." She paused before giving in. "Thank you. But as much as I appreciate all of this, stop. No amount of gifts will change my mind."

Logan raised his eyebrows at her in challenge. "Does this have to do with your phone buddy?" he asked, pointing to the phone in her pocket. Her eyes widened again slightly before she caught herself.

"Excuse me?"

"You sure were friendly with the person on the other line."

Emily stood up, wiping her hands on her jeans as she looked at Logan, trying to brace herself. "It's not what you…"

"Oh don't play dumb with me, Emily," Logan interrupted her. "I don't know who this other guy thinks he is, but break it off."

Her eyes narrowed at him as disbelief filled her body. "Excuse me?" she repeated, this time her voice just as icy as her gaze. Logan stepped forward, latching onto her arms and pulling her close to him.

"You heard me. Break it off. Or else I'll break him."

She broke out of his grasp, giving a humorless laugh.

"I don't know what the hell I ever saw in you. Stop acting like a cave man. I'll date whomever I want. You have no say in my love life, you pompous, idiotic asshole," Emily retorted, indignation written all over her face.

Logan tried to reach for her, but she stopped him. "Touch me again and I'll slap you so hard you won't need a plane ticket back to L.A.," she threatened. Turning on her heel, she stalked into the house, slamming the door behind her.

Emily let out a steady stream of curses as she poured herself a glass of tea to try and calm down. Clearly talking to him wasn't working. Every time they spoke, they got into an argument. She let out another humorless laugh. How in the world was she ever supposed to tell him about Hannah? Every attempt ended with Logan interrupting and them yelling at each other. She slammed the glass on the counter, frustrated. At this point, she wished she had slapped him all the way back to the west coast.


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors Notes: Woot! I was able to get another update out faster than I thought! I should probably apologize in advance for the end of this...but just remember that I love y'all! :)  
**

**Thank you again to all of you readers, silent and not so silent. Your reviews are AWESOME, just like all of YOU! :)**

**Guest - Logan can't help himself...he's a guy! And we all know that men are ridiculous at times. Lol. I know, I LOVE that he's jealous over his unknown daughter. I thought that was amusing. And hmmm...I think you're right about that feeling you have. :)  
Paumichyy - Gotta love a jealous man...especially one who's jealous over literally nothing. Lol. Wait no more! She's here!  
Tokala - Oh I know. Friends who bring alcohol when you're upset are the BEST. :) And yeah, Logan was DEF showing his caveman, very male side. And it wasn't all that attractive. Hah.  
Emy . Elle - Oh yeah. Def some lingering feelings there. She's tried telling him multiple times about Hannah...it just never ends well. Idk that they CAN be calm with each other. LOL. Logan being jealous of Hannah is hilarious!  
SuperSillyStories - Tough Logan can be hilarious...esp when it's bc he's jealous over his unknown child. Lmao. Yeaaah...not gonna lie, if a guy brought be Reese's + coffee, I'd be his slave for life. Em's a lot better than us. Lol.  
SeraphinaCruz - The explosion's bound to happen soon...there's only so many times I can tease it. It's driving ME crazy. Lol. I loved Logan's reaction, as ridiculous as it was. I'm glad you thought the same!  
Logan's Honey Pie - Oh yeah. Logan's unknown child coming? DEFINITELY trouble! I have a feeling there's going to be some pretty large explosions over this. :D**

* * *

The next afternoon, Emily drove out to the airport to pick up Hannah. She was ridiculously early, but she didn't care. Hannah was her baby and Emily was nervous for her. So she showed up at the airport a good two hours earlier than necessary.

The moment she saw her daughter enter with the attendant, Emily let out a visible sigh of relief. Hannah, seeing her mom, let out a shout and ran over to her, disregarding the instructions of the attendant. Emily was too relieved to have her daughter in her arms to reprimand her for not paying attention to the attendant. After going through the necessary steps to claim Hannah and getting her bags, they headed back to the house.

Emily laughed as she listened to her daughter recount the adventure of her first flight. Her animated voice made Emily smile; she was so glad to have Hannah with her. As hard as it was to be a single parent, she wouldn't trade it for anything. Her and Hannah were a team, along with Grace pitching in when she could. She had missed having Hannah around for the past two weeks. She knew things were about to get complicated with Logan in the picture, but she was still overjoyed that her daughter was here.

Hannah was bounding from excitement as they pulled into the driveway. It was strange for Emily to see someone happy at the sight of this house. For her, the house had been a hell hole during her childhood. But as she watched her daughter practically run into the hallway, she gave a small smile. Maybe this would give them an opportunity to create new memories here; something that would make this house seem a happier. More like a home.

The small child walked through the house, entranced by it. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. Hannah had grown up in the heart of New York City, away from the country and the large sprawling lands. They had a modest apartment up there, nothing like this large house. She gave her mom a huge grin when she saw the backyard. Emily grinned right back at her, promising that she could go out and play and run around whenever she wanted.

Emily took her to her old bedroom last. She had transformed it, turning it into a little girl's dream. She watched her daughter carefully as she entered the room. Hannah's eyes widened, taking in the entire place.

"I get to sleep here?" she asked her mom in hushed tones. Emily leaned down next to her, matching her serious face.

"Absolutely," she replied before breaking into a huge smile. "It's all yours, sunshine."

That was all the encouragement Hannah needed. She took off, jumping onto the large bed in glee. For a moment, Emily thought about stopping her. Instead, she kicked off her shoes and joined her daughter, the both of them giggling as they bounced on the bed. Minutes later, they collapsed, still laughing.

Emily finally stood up, grinning down at her daughter.

"Hungry, sunshine?" she asked. Hannah nodded, her blonde hair a mess in front of her face. Emily pushed it back, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I'm gonna go make us something to eat. After dinner I'll help you unpack some, okay?"

Hannah nodded again. "Can I help cook?"

Her heart warmed and she grinned again. "Sure. Come on, sunshine. Let's go pretend to be chefs."

* * *

"Hannah, I've got to talk to you about something."

Emily was helping Hannah get ready for bed. They had finished bath time, brushed teeth and had just completed reading their bedtime story. Now she was sitting on the bed, waiting for Hannah to put away the book. She carted the large volume of fairy tales over to the bookcase, dropping it next to it before running back and climbing up next to her mother on the bed.

"About what? Is this about the mess I made before I left Grandma's?" she asked, a guilty look creeping onto her face. Emily narrowed her eyes at her daughter.

"No…but maybe I should talk to Grandma tomorrow." Hannah gave her an innocent grin that Emily just raised an eyebrow at. She sighed, looking down at the small girl sitting next to her. "Do you know why we're here, staying in this house?"

Hannah nodded. "Grandma said that Grandpa gave you the house and that we're supposed to live here or else I don't get the duck pond."

Emily's lips twitched at her daughter's misunderstanding. "Trust fund, baby. Not a duck pond."

Her hopeful face fell, causing Emily to squeeze her tight against her. "You mean I don't get a duck?"

"No, sunshine. Not a duck. A trust fund is something special that you'll get when you turn 18." Hannah's eyes lit up at the word special, diminishing at the age.

"That's forever away!" she exclaimed on an exaggerated sigh. Emily just laughed lightly.

"It'll be here sooner than you know," she murmured, thinking about how fast the past six years had gone with her already. "But you were right about everything else. We're going to be living here during the summer. You can ride horses and play outside and have so much fun."

Once again, her daughter's eyes lit up. "Can we get a dog?" she asked hopefully. Emily frowned a little.

"We'll see." Before Hannah could launch into a convincing speech, Emily spoke again. "There's something else, Hannah." She paused for a moment, trying to think how to go about this. "Remember me telling you about your daddy? How he had a very important job which meant that he had to live somewhere else?"

Hannah nodded. "Yeah. His job is really big. But you said that he loves me."

Her heart clenched a little, but she pushed on. "Yes, sunshine. Well, your dad is on a break from his job." Hannah interrupted.

"Kinda like you, Momma? You're on a break too, right?"

"Yes, kind of like me. Well, he's here in this town too."

Hannah's eyes lit up. "My daddy's here? Is he coming tonight? Am I going to see him tonight?"

Emily gave her a light smile. "Not tonight. But it'll be soon. For now though, it's time for bed."

Hannah started to groan, but thought twice when she saw the arched look her mother gave her. Quickly, she snuggled under the blankets. Emily leaned down, placing a kiss on her daughter's forehead.

"Night, Momma. I love you," the small girl said as Emily walked to the door. She turned off the lights and smiled at her.

"Good night, sunshine. I love you more."

Emily closed the door, leaving it cracked so Hannah had the light from the hallway just in case. When she was sure her mother was gone, Hannah pulled out the picture she kept in her pillowcase. It was a picture of Logan that Emily had given her the first time she'd asked about him. Hannah looked at it, a huge grin on her face. "Night, Daddy," she whispered to it, giving it a quick kiss before settling into the bed and falling fast asleep.

* * *

Later that night, Emily was going through a few more boxes, trying to get stuff sorted. There was a whole room left of boxes, full with Clint's possessions. She was taking it slowly, not wanting to overwhelm herself.

She started to open another box, letting out a large yawn. Emily was exhausted. She looked down at the box, eyes fluttering shut. She snapped herself out of it, deciding that the box could wait till tomorrow; sleep could not. Standing up, she started to push it away, but something caught her eye.

Opening the box the rest of the way, she found it to be full of paper; documents, letters, bills, random things. But there was one in particular that grabbed her. A letter on top, addressed to her. Frowning, she lifted it out, turning to see that it was still partially sealed, as if it had been opened and resealed.

She lifted the edge of the envelope, pulling out the old paper inside of it. As she unfolded it and began to read, she let out a gasp, shock entering her system at the familiar handwriting.

_"Dear Em…"_


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors Notes: I'm apparently on a roll lately with getting updates out. And it's longer than normal! Right on. I'm afraid y'all aren't going to like me very much at the end of this one either...  
**

**Broken record time - thank you for all of your reviews! I love waking up to those notifications. I am NOT a morning person, so seeing them helps make the morning a LOT better. :) Love all of y'all SO much!**

**Emy . Elle - Isn't she adorable? And picture thing was just too cute! My nieces do it with various pictures and it always makes my heart melt a little. And OF COURSE I had to stop there! What kind of writer would I be without my cliffhangers? ;)  
Tokala - Oh yeah! Things are definitely starting to happen. I think Logan & Emily are in for some long overdue conversations.  
Paumichyy - Wasn't it too cute? My nieces do that too and I love it. Kids are the BEST.  
SuperSillyStories - Kids make EVERYTHING better. No lie. Especially cute kids! *hugs* DON'T CRY. And don't smack my nose! YOU DO CLIFFHANGERS TO YA KNOW. And I don't smack YOUR nose! Lmao.  
Carlos'sCupcake - I would apologize for the suspense and the cliffhanger...but I'm really not sorry. Lmao. I STILL don't know how you managed to get over your Logan feels! Ahahaha, I feel like everything I write is girly. But that's probably bc I am the biggest girl you will ever meet. Lol.  
AndiHenderson - Sorry! I got this out as soon as I could! :)  
LazyLazyWriter - Thank you! I'm glad that you're liking it! :)  
Guest - Because cliffhangers are a writers best friend? :) Lol. I couldn't resist it! And ohhhh yeah. Things are about to hit the fan! Logan's going to find out very soon...  
RandomWriter23 - Wait no more...the letter is here! And so is more Hannah!  
**

* * *

_"Dear Em,_

_ I hate that I have to do this, especially in this way. But I know that if I see your face, I'd never go._

_ There's a role, out in L.A. My agent called me this morning. I'm flying out this evening and auditioning tomorrow afternoon. It's big. And I've got a really good feeling about this. I think that this could really be it._

_ I know we said we'd go out there together, making our own way. And we will. After the audition, after I get a place set up out there, I'll come back for you. Give me a few weeks. And I promise, we'll do this together. Just me and you Em._

_ You're probably swearing, pissed off at me for telling you in a letter. Hell, I'd be just as pissed. But you know that I can't see you before I go. One look at your face and I'll be torn. This is a huge opportunity for me, Em. This could really change things for us. We're going to do it, babe. We're going to finally get out of here and start life. _

_ I'll call you when I get there, that is if you're not too angry to talk to me. _

_ I love you, Em. I'll see you in a few weeks._

_ Logan"_

Emily stared at the parchment in front of her, her hand shaking as tears rolled down her cheeks. Logan didn't just leave her. He had told her goodbye. And was going to come back for her. Her eyes widened as she thought about how both Logan and Cassie had said that he had come back. He did.

But why had she never seen this letter?

Glancing down into the box, she saw a few more letters, tied together, all addressed to her. Suddenly, Emily's exhaustion faded away. She pulled them out, opening and reading each one. There were a handful of letters from before he had returned to town. Each one seemed to get more desperate for a response from her than the last. The last letter she pulled out was dated a week after he had returned. Logan had seemed resigned to the fact that Emily wasn't going to answer. That she was done.

She sat there, shaking, a myriad of emotions running rampant through her body. She knew that Clint had taken these letters, hiding them from her. He never liked Logan, that much she knew. But Emily had no idea that he would have stooped that low.

Then again, he had kicked her out when she realized she was pregnant. Obviously Clint had known that Logan hadn't really left with no explanation; that he was going to come back for her. But apparently Clint's dislike of Logan was taken to a whole new level with this.

In Clint's eyes, Logan was Emily's accomplice; the reason she continued to disobey him. And because of this, he had earned a spot on Clint's shit list.

Anger flowed through Emily's veins at what her father had taken. Not just from her, but from Logan and Hannah as well. Logan missed seeing Hannah and knowing his daughter. Hannah had grown up without her dad. And she'd had to do this all on her own. Her pregnancy, giving birth and raising Hannah without him. All because Clint had to be the world's biggest asshole.

Immediately, sorrow filled her. So many years had been wasted, taken away. What would have happened had she seen this letter when it had been delivered? Her and Logan might have been able to actually start a life together. But just as soon as she thought that, another thought popped up in her head.

Would Logan have gotten the role if she had gone with him to L.A.? Emily wasn't so sure. What network would want to sign an 18 year old who had a knocked up girlfriend? The more she thought about it, the more sure she was. Clint had done Logan an unexpected favor. By hiding that letter, Logan had been able to make his dream come true.

She stood up abruptly, closing the flaps of the box. Clutching the letters closer to her body, Emily walked out of the room. She just needed to sleep on it. To think it over before she talked to Logan.

Emily checked on Hannah once more, smiling at her daughter sprawled out on the bed, sound asleep before she headed off to her own room for a restless nights sleep.

* * *

"Thank you Cass," Emily said as she tucked her phone and license in her pocket. "I appreciate you watching Hannah while I do…this."

Cassie gave her a supportive look, hugging her quickly.

"Of course, girl. Hannah and I have become best friends in the past hour. We'll be just fine," she said. She caught sight of Emily's worried face, eying her daughter over her shoulder. She smirked at Emily's sheepish face.

"Alright. I know you'll be okay. I'm just going to go now before I lose my nerve."

"Good luck!"

Emily gave her a weak smile as she grabbed her keys and walked out the door. The drive to Logan's was fairly short. But her mind kept running in circles, trying to decide how to do this.

How did she tell Logan about the daughter he didn't know when her own head was so mixed up? The last seven years had been a huge misunderstanding. Yet they still happened. She knew she still had feelings for Logan. How could she not? He was her first love. Her only one. And he was the father of her child. But that didn't mean that anything could or would happen.

She knew that Logan wanted to just jump back into a relationship. But she couldn't do that, even knowing what she did now. She wasn't the same teenaged girl who jumped recklessly without looking. Emily had responsibilities. She was a mom. She had a good job, one that she actually enjoyed and had worked hard to get to. And Logan had a life out in L.A.

Not to mention all the problems that had arisen between them in the span of seven years. How did you get past all of the hurt and misunderstandings?

Emily wasn't sure of anything anymore.

When she pulled up, she was relieved to only see Logan's car in the driveway. As much as she loved them, Emily did not want to do this with his family around.

Gathering all of her courage, she knocked on his door. He answered it wearing nothing more than a pair of basketball shorts and a surprised look on his face. Emily was a bit taken aback to see him shirtless. Her momentary shock was broken by Logan's voice.

"Emily," he breathed out. "What are you doing…oh," he said as she held up the stack of letters she had discovered the night before.

"Can we talk?" she asked softly. Logan nodded, moving aside to let her in.

She walked into the living room, not even noticing that he hadn't followed. A few moments later he entered the room, his chest covered by an old t-shirt and carrying two glasses. Wordlessly, he handed her one and sat down, waiting for her to speak.

"It still looks the same here. Almost like time stood still," she said, referring to the house.

"It's comforting to come back to. Knowing that this place won't change," Logan replied.

Emily looked away from him, struggling, unsure of how to start. Logan seemed to sense this, so he spoke. "Why did you bring my letters here?" he asked her, cutting right to the chase.

"I never got them," she replied quickly. At Logan's confused face, she explained. "I found them last night as I was going through some old boxes. My father had kept them from me."

His eyes widened and he stood up, swearing aloud. "Clint hid them?" he asked sharply. Emily gave him a silent, small nod, causing him to swear again.

He paced around, his thoughts swirling like a vortex in his head. Suddenly he stopped and turned to look at her.

"You thought I had left without any explanation. That I was just done with you," he stated.

Emily nodded once more. "That's what it seemed like to me."

"Which naturally pissed you off." He gave a short laugh. "How long after did you leave?"

"A week."

He nodded in acknowledgement, thinking things through. Emily couldn't stand the silence, so she voiced her own question.

"You really came back for me?" she asked him quietly.

Logan's dark eyes turned to hers, his expression softening.

"I did. I couldn't believe that you had left. I had no idea why. I mean, I knew you'd be pissed about me leaving so quickly, but I thought we'd be okay once I auditioned and came back for you. But you left…," he trailed off. "All these years we both thought each other had left. You've been pissed off at me for seven years because of something your father did."

"He always was the world's biggest jackass," Emily muttered. Logan started laughing and sat down next to her, feeling like a weight had been lifted off him. Emily raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"I fail to see what's so funny about this."

"It was all just a misunderstanding. And now that it's cleared up, we can move on. And start over, just the two of us," he replied, taking her hand in his own.

His words jarred her, reminding her of the main reason she had come over.

"Logan, I don't think that's such a good idea..."

Impatience flashed in his eyes, causing her to move back a little, taking her hand from his.

"Why the hell not? I know you still have feelings for me."

Emily sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She took a few calming breaths, trying to keep her cool and not start another argument with him. "It's not just the two of us Logan. There's someone else. Logan, we have…" Before she could finish, he interrupted her once more.

"Like hell there is! Is this about that guy you were talking to the other day? Because I promise you that whatever you have with him is nothing compared to what we had, what we still have," he fought back, determination in his eyes.

Emily could have laughed at how ridiculous this was. She guaranteed that Logan would laugh too if he knew just who he was jealous over.

"Logan, there isn't another man."

He grabbed her hands and pulled her close to him. "Then why are you so resistant to this, Em? I know it's been years…" This time it was Emily's turn to interrupt.

"That's exactly it, Logan. It's been years. Tell me something. How often have you thought of me in the past seven years? How about in just the past year?" At his silence, she raised an eyebrow as if to make a point. "Exactly. If we hadn't of bumped into each other, you wouldn't have thought of me. You would've been just fine without seeing me again."

Logan's hands ran up and down her arms softly. "But we did see each other. And seeing you once more was all it took. Emily, I'm still in love with you."

She went limp in his arms, her face draining of color. "…What?" she managed to croak out. Her heart was beating erratically fast.

"I'm in love with you."

Emily swore violently in her head, letting out a few stray curses aloud. "Damn it, Logan. Why do you have to make things so difficult?" she asked angrily, breaking out of his embrace and moving to the other side of the room. He looked at her, a puzzled expression painted on his face.

"How does that make it difficult? If anything, it should simplify things," he responded.

She shook her head at him, placing a hand on her forehead and looking down, trying to process. Why did he have to do this every single time she tried to talk to him?

Emily couldn't think clearly. Her mind was racing and she felt on the verge of a breakdown. Logan was startled to see tears falling down her cheeks as she lifted her head to stare at him. He started towards her, but she held her hands up to stop him.

"No. I just – I need a few days, Logan. Give me a few days. We'll talk then," she said, her voice cracking before she turned and walked out of the house.

* * *

"Hannah Grace Daniels! I've already told you five times tonight that it's time for bed!" Emily called out to her daughter.

"I'm picking out my story, Momma," came the little voice. Emily rolled her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently. A crash sounded from the room where her daughter was followed by the child guiltily walking into her bedroom. Emily sighed and looked down at her pixie like daughter.

"Hannah, what happened?"

"It wasn't my fault! I found my story at the bottom and I pulled it out. They fell by themselves!" She smiled a charming little smile and walked towards her mom.

"You are so lucky that I'm too tired to deal with that right now. Go on now and get into bed."

"Will you still read me my story?" she asked, her small bottom lip protruding ever so slightly. Her dark brown eyes pleaded with her mom and she was rewarded with a quick smile. She jumped and ran to her pink and yellow floral bed. Within thirty seconds she was all settled in her bed waiting for her mother to come read to her. Emily walked over and suppressed a laugh at seeing her daughter bundled up in her blankets and surrounded by various teddy bears from her own childhood. Her heart lurched at the sight of her daughter. She looked so much like her father.

"Well it's good to see you finally in bed. Now which story will it be tonight?" she asked as she sat down in the familiar and worn chair by the bed that her own mother had sat in. Story time was a nightly ritual for them. It was one time that they could share together when the world would seem to stop.

Hannah held up a tattered book and offered a fairy-like giggle. Emily took the book from her daughter's hands. "This one, again? Do you not ever get tired of hearing the same story over and over again?" Hannah shook her head, allowing small blonde curls to bob. Emily laughed and conceded. "Fine. I'm surprised that you don't already have it memorized." She opened the front cover and began to read.

"Once upon a time, in a far of kingdom, there lived a young maiden…"

As Emily read the age-old fairytale, Hannah began to silently drift off. This was her favorite bedtime story. Grandma had allowed her to only pack one, so of course this one came with her. Luckily, there was a whole bookcase filled with children's books in the study, all from Emily's youth. But still, this was her favorite.

Hannah loved hearing the sound of her mother's voice. It was soft, yet had a slight strain to it with the stress of the day. She looked up at Emily and saw nothing but beauty. She reminded her of a magnificent queen, a ruler of all nations. Of course, this nation was only the apartment they lived in up in New York City and Emily was just a single mom struggling to bring her daughter up right. During these nightly story times, Hannah liked to pretend otherwise. Her mom was the queen and she was a princess who owned a unicorn. They lived in a large and ornate castle, equipped with the best toys in the entire world. She once told Emily of her make-believe world. Emily just laughed her infectious laugh and told her that she already was a princess.

Hannah soon fell into a deep sleep dreaming of her fantasy world as Emily finished up the story.

"The prince and princess rode off together into the sunset, and they lived happily ever after," she said, closing the book. She looked down at her daughter and smiled. Emily stood up, putting the book off to the side on the nightstand and bent down to kiss Hannah goodnight. "Goodnight, sunshine." She straightened up and walked over to the door. Emily turned back to look at her peacefully sleeping child and smiled before shutting the door quietly.

Emily walked downstairs and sat down on the couch in the living room, needing a moment to herself. For the past two days she'd been busy, first with Hannah. Then Cassie's sister, Amanda, had returned from an event she had catered in another state. So of course that night, she had to be updated on the whole situation. The three friends stayed up talking over very large glasses of wine. Between all of that, Emily hadn't had a moment to really think about Logan.

He was in love with her still.

If that wasn't a shock to the system, she wasn't sure what was. Oh wait, how about finding out that you have a six year old daughter you didn't know about? She laughed humorlessly aloud to herself.

She knew she should have told him the other day; it was the perfect time. But her mind had literally been reeling. Emily couldn't process one complete thought. So how was she supposed to have told him life altering news like that?

Emily needed a moment to think. To process. And to gather her wits. She needed to be in control when she told him. That much she knew.

After a few moments, Emily made up her mind. She was going to call Logan tomorrow and ask him to meet her somewhere. Somewhere neutral. And she was determined to tell him. No matter what he said, or how much they yelled at each other. Emily was going to prepare herself. She'd tell Logan, even if she had to hit him over the head with a frying pan and duct tape his mouth shut to keep him from interrupting her again.

Satisfied with her plan, she picked up the book Amanda had given her the day before and started to read. Maybe that would clear her mind of all thoughts of Logan.

Two hours passed before she was interrupted by a knock on the door. She looked at the clock, frowning. It was almost ten at night. Who would be coming by this late? She got up and went to the door. She opened it and found herself staring at the occupant standing in her doorway.

"Emily," was all Logan said.


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Note: Um...so this is the chapter y'all have been waiting for...right? :P**

**I won't be able to update again this weekend, so this is extra long to make up for that.**

**I'm skipping the shout outs this chapter, since I'm at work ALL day today. 10 hours. And my phone is just dumb and won't cooperate long enough for me to type them all out. But I wanted to get this out...so here you go!**

**Thank you again for every single review and message! It means SO much to me! I would not do this if it weren't for all of y'all. So thank you!**

* * *

"Emily," was all Logan said. He stood here, holding a single tulip. Emily didn't know what it was, but seeing him standing there caused her heart to constrict.

She couldn't speak. Her heart was firmly lodged in her throat, preventing her from even whispering. Logan, sensing what was going on with her shot her a quick grin. Oh Lord, anything but that.

"Are you going to make me stand out here all night?" Emily shook her head and moved aside to let him in. Logan walked in and immediately looked around. The place looked different from even a few days ago. It no longer looked like the house he remembered from their youth. It was filled with little 'Emily' things. There was a vase of flowers on almost every stable surface. Windows were now free, no longer blocked by the heavy blinds or curtains. A forgotten glass of water was left on top of the TV. A wicker basket of toys caught his eye and caused him to frown in confusion for a second before returning his eyes to Emily.

Even though it was late and she was clearly not expecting anyone, she still looked gorgeous to him. She stood gracefully among her possessions with her hands nervously clasped in front of her.

"You can sit," she said, obviously uneasy. Logan had to bite back a grin at that. "Why are you here Logan?" Emily asked, glancing back towards the stairs before turning back to him.

"You said you needed a few days to think. It's been a few days and I'm done waiting."

"It's late. Can't we talk tomorrow?"

Logan shook his head forcefully. "No. We're finishing this tonight, Em."

She sighed and sat down, Logan following suit.

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"I want you to say that you'll give us another shot. See where we can go this time," he replied. "I know you still have feelings for me; don't try to deny it, Em."

Emily nodded, almost wearily. "You're right. I do. But I can't just jump into a relationship with you again. There's still a lot that we have to talk about."

Logan stood up, swearing.

"Damn it, Emily. What's there to talk about? I still love you. I still want you."

"Logan," she sighed. But once again, he interrupted her.

"No. Let me talk. I don't get it. I understand why you were so angry. But we cleared up that misunderstanding. So why can't we move past that? Hell, I got over the fact that you had left. It tore me up to realize that you were gone, that you weren't going to come with me. I almost quit the show, the band, everything. I started to search for you, before I realized that you didn't want to be found. So I let you be. Shit, if I had known though, I would've never stopped until I found you."

He paused for a moment, unable to keep his emotions in check. Emily looked away from him, waiting.

"I've had to wonder what could have been for the past seven years. I imagined what our wedding would have been like. What our life would have been like. I wondered what our kids would look like. Shit. I couldn't wait to have kids with you."

Emily looked up sharply at him when he said that. She felt her heart lurch and the dam inside of her broke. Tears began to silently pour down her cheeks as he continued.

"I always thought I'd be the first out of us guys to get married, start a family. Then James met Kate and they got their family. It made me think. Reminded me of what I had wanted with you. So I came back home. I figured I might as well go back to where I started from. Then I saw you again and I knew that it was right."

He paused once more, briefly, to look directly into Emily's eyes, the green deep with emotion.

"In all these years, there hasn't been anyone else but you. No one's ever come close. I came here tonight for one reason," he began, his voice raised.

"Logan, please don't shout," Emily said, glancing again up the stairs towards their little girl's door. Oblivious to this, he crouched down in front of her and continued on.

"Damn it Emily. I want you. It's only been you."

Emily sat there on the couch quietly sobbing. Before she could say anything, a little voice shattered the silence.

"Mommy?" Logan stood up looking at the small child, realization registering in his face. "I had bad dream. Come sing to me?" she asked while rubbing her eyes.

Emily quickly looked over at Hannah before looking at Logan's shell-shocked face. Strangely, she was calm as she walked over and picked up their daughter, pulling her close.

"It's okay sweetheart. I'll sing to you and stay until you fall asleep." She swayed with the child in her arms.

"Who's that?" the child asked on a sleepy yawn, her eyes fluttering shut. Her mother briefly met Logan's eyes before responding.

"Family. Let's go back to bed, okay baby?"

Hannah nodded sleepily before laying her head on her mother's shoulder. Emily walked back to her room, leaving Logan in the living room to process everything.

Logan didn't know what to think. He knew that was his daughter. He knew the minute that the small girl had walked out rubbing her eyes, the same eyes that belonged to him. Shock was putting it lightly. He hadn't expected to see a miniature of himself. Damn, she had his eyes. Her hair was the same shade as her mothers, but everything else looked like him. Even the grin. That was his daughter. He was a father. Shit, he needed to sit down.

He sat down on the couch and stared blankly at the wall for a few seconds before getting back up to pace the room restlessly. He stopped when he heard the sound of a childish giggle. His heart warmed. Curious, he walked up the stairs to the bedroom that used to belong to Emily. He stood in the doorway and watched as the love of his life tucked in their daughter. His daughter. Shit, this was going to take some time to register.

"Mommy sing," Hannah said, yawning. Emily smiled down at her world and smoothed the curls that had flown in every direction.

"What do you want me to sing?" she asked.

"My song!" she exclaimed. Knowing exactly what she meant, Emily began to sing. It only took the chorus to have the child sound asleep. Emily leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight sunshine," she whispered for the second time that night before getting up. She stopped suddenly when she saw Logan in the doorway. He wordlessly moved past her and bent down to place a soft kiss on their daughter's cheek. Emily watched as he pulled the blankets up so that she was tucked in completely. Her heart lurched again watching him with their daughter. He got up and walked with her out of the bedroom and back down the stairs into the living room.

Logan sat down on the couch and pulled Emily down beside him. Unable to speak, Emily let it all come out. She began to cry again, allowing the tears to flow freely down her cheeks. Logan held her until she stopped.

"I'm sorry. I just. I need a moment," she said as she walked into her kitchen. Logan followed her, not willing to let her escape again. She looked up at him before speaking. "I'm sorry," she whispered. He looked into her green eyes and all of the anger he had disappeared.

"Why didn't you tell me, Emily? Why did you leave and not tell me that I had a daughter?" he asked quietly.

"I was angry, Logan. You had left, and I thought we were over. That you wanted nothing to do with me. A week after you left I found out I was pregnant. And when my father found out, he kicked me out of the house."

Logan swore, scrubbing his hands over his face. "So you left town." She nodded. "Why didn't you contact me? Let me know?"

Emily sighed. "I told you, I was angry. But even in my anger I knew that it would've been awful if I had tracked you down." When he started to protest angrily, Emily held up a hand to stop him. "Think about it, Logan. What would have happened if I _had_ found you out in L.A.? What would you have done?"

"I would've been there for you. For both of you," he retorted. Emily smiled patiently at him.

"But it would've cost you your career. There's no way the network would've signed you knowing you had a pregnant girlfriend. I would've just been in the way. And you would've resented me, both of us, because of it."

Logan stood there for a few moments to let her words sink in before he responded. He tried to keep his voice even to avoid waking up Hannah.

"Emily, she's my daughter too. I had a right to know about her. And damn it, who cares about the network? Yeah, I love my job. I love the fans. I love all of that. But what matters more is that I love you. We could have gotten through this together. You made this decision for me, without me. I've missed six years of her life. Does she even know who I am?" he asked.

"Yes. She knows you. I told her that you had an important job that meant you had to live somewhere else. But she knows who you are, what you look like."

Logan frowned at her in confusion. "Then why didn't she recognize me?"

Emily shrugged. "She was tired and scared from her nightmare."

If it hadn't have been happening to him, Logan would have laughed at the absurdity of it all.

"Look. I made the decisions I did for a reason. Right or wrong, it happened. I did what I thought was best at the time for us. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I'm sorry that I left. But it's done with now. I can't change what I did and to be honest, I don't know if I would."

Emily walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch. Logan followed her and sat beside her. Out of habit, he placed his arm around her.

"Does my family know? Does anyone else know?" he asked.

"No. Your family doesn't know. I couldn't bear to tell your parents and hurt them that way. Cassie and Amanda know, but that's only been in the last few days. My parents knew, obviously. Mama flew into New York City the day Hannah was born, but she missed it by a number of hours. I went into labor unexpectedly, otherwise she would've been there. She lives a few blocks away from me now. My father was livid about it. That's why he kicked me out. He didn't really care to have a bastard grandchild," she said quietly.

"So you just left on your own? You were alone? Even through the pregnancy?" he asked incredulously.

"Mama's been around to help. But I was alone when I gave birth to Hannah. I think that was the hardest part. Going through labor by your self is pure torture. But it was all worth it in the end. Look what I ended up with. It's just been me and Hannah for the past six years and we've done pretty well by ourselves."

Logan pulled her closer to him and rested his head on top of hers. He held her wordlessly until she fell asleep. He placed a small kiss on the top of her head.

"You're not alone anymore. I'm here. You don't have to worry. I'll never leave you again." He heard Emily's steady breathing that indicated that she was asleep. He kissed the top of her head one more time. Logan lifted the chain that hung around his neck, slipping off the ring that dangled from it. It was a simple band, part of a set. He knew Emily had the other one at one time. Softly, he placed in on her hand. "This belongs to you," he said softly. "I love you, Emily. And I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Emily woke up the next morning on her couch with a blanket draped over her. The sun was just barely peeking through the windows, indicating that she had a little while yet until Hannah would wake. She sat up and looked around. She was sure that Logan had shown up last night, yet there was no sign of him. Emily sighed, thinking that it must have been a dream. She looked down, confused as to why she had fallen asleep on the couch. A silver glint caught her eye and she lifted her left hand up to examine. There on her ring finger was a silver ring, Logan's ring. Her heart skipped a beat. Then that must mean that it wasn't a dream! But if it wasn't, then where was he?

Just as she thought this, her front door opened and Logan walked in, carrying Starbucks. Oh God. There was a reason she loved him. He looked and saw that she was awake. He smiled at her and handed her a cup.

"Still your favorite?" he asked as she took a sip. She smiled back up at him and nodded.

"Starbucks when I wake up? You're my hero." Logan laughed. He watched her as she tried to glance unsuspectingly at the ring again.

"I see you found my ring," he said. Emily looked up at him, a question in her eyes. Reading the question, he answered. "It belongs to you, just as my heart still belongs to you. This just makes it more official." He took her hand in his and lifted it to his mouth. Emily felt her emotions get the better of her. They were all over. How in the world did she end up so lucky?

"Logan, my heart has always been yours. You know that. You knew the minute you walked up to my door."

Logan pulled her into his arms and sat holding her silently for a few minutes. Emily's head was content to lay across his chest, listening to the sound of his beating heart. This is where she belonged.

"I want you. I want Hannah. She needs to know who I am," he said quietly. Emily pulled away and looked up at him.

"I have something for you."

Emily got up and walked over to her desk. She opened a drawer and pulled out a DVD and handed it to him. Logan accepted it and looked questioningly at it.

"I'm going to go take a shower. Hannah won't get up for another hour or two, so you should be fine to watch that without any interruptions."

"What is it?" Emily walked to edge of the room before turning around to respond.

"I've been saving it for you and adding to it when I can. It'll help you get to know your daughter." She gave him a simple smile that sent his heart into a spasm before turning and walking to her bedroom, leaving him alone with the mystery video.

"Might as well," he said aloud to himself. Logan got up and put the DVD in and started it. There was sound before picture. He heard laughter, Emily's laughter, before the picture came up. There was Emily, sitting in a hospital bed holding a newborn Hannah. She was smiling down at her before turning to look at the camera.

"Mama! You couldn't have given me some warning? I look horrible!" the Emily in the video said. He heard the sound of laughter that must have come from her mom.

"Oh pipe down, Em. This isn't for you anyways! It's for Logan, so he can see Hannah." Logan saw raw emotion flicker in Emily's eyes before she gave a small smile. He saw her take a quick breath before speaking.

"Okay. Logan, this is your daughter, Hannah Grace. She was born yesterday morning. She was seven pounds, six ounces. And she's the most beautiful baby girl in the world." At that, the camera zoomed in on the tiny face. Logan stared in wonder at the small baby on the screen. That was his daughter. He couldn't believe he had a daughter, that they had a daughter. Emily was right. She was the most beautiful baby. There were a few more minutes of this before the scene changed.

The camera was set up in the living room off to the side. Emily was sitting on the floor, her arms outstretched to a wobbly Hannah. The child was standing, rather unsure, on two legs, debating about whether or not to take the first step. Logan smiled as he saw Emily encourage their daughter. He saw the joy on her face as Hannah took the first steps towards her mother. Emily laughed when she finally made it into her arms, causing baby giggles to escape from Hannah. He watched as this stunt was done a few more times before the next event came on.

Next was Hannah's first birthday. Logan found himself grinning when Hannah smashed cake across her face. Emily had been smart and had stripped the child down to nothing but a diaper, making clean up much easier. There were balloons and streamers and toys thrown everywhere. He saw Grace and a few others he didn't recognize laughing with Emily as Hannah covered herself in cake.

There were a few more things here and there thrown in, each one bringing him closer to this family of two. He watched as they danced around the house to old Disney songs. He watched as Hannah put on a concert for her mother playing a kazoo. He watched as his daughter grew up right before him on a television screen. He found himself laughing when after watching his daughter dance, Emily turned to the camera to say, "If you had any doubts as to this child's paternity, that right there better have erased them. She is your daughter, through and through."

As the video ended, Logan sat back and smiled to himself. Emily was a good mother. There was no doubt about that. And even though she had left, she had still made this for him, just in case. That proved right there that she still loved him. This being true, he understood now why she didn't want to just jump right back into their relationship where they left off. It had been seven years. They had both changed, both grown up. They had a daughter to think about.

Emily walked back into the room, seeing that Logan had finished the video. She stood unnoticed for a few minutes, just watching him. Oh, she had missed him so much. She missed the way he held her. The way his arms would wrap around her, as if to protect her from the world. She missed the talks they would have, serious and mindless. She missed seeing his crooked grin and hearing his voice every day. She missed having someone who knew her inside and out. Even though seven years had passed, that connection was still there. Both of them knew it, both of them felt it. And this time Emily allowed herself to acknowledge it.

And now, they had a daughter. Emily wasn't even afraid of whether or not Logan would want to stay. After last night, she knew he would. She knew that he wanted to be with her, just as she wanted to be with him. It was just getting to that point that was the hard part. There was still the problem of his career. How would the fans react to knowing that Logan Mitchell had a secret child with his old girlfriend?

Emily had to pull herself back before she thoroughly went into freak out mode. They would deal with it. Emily had made the decision by herself once before. She couldn't do that again, not when Logan was sitting right here on her couch. Even if she could convince him, she didn't know if she would be able to walk away again. Scratch that. She knew she couldn't. She loved him too much to do that again.

Logan, sensing her presence, turned and saw her standing a few feet away. He slowly got up and walked over to her before pulling her into his arms. Emily allowed herself to melt into his embrace, forgetting everything else for the moment. Her heart sped up when he pulled away and looked directly at her. Their gazes held for a few moments, nothing else around them. Logan then leaned down and pressed his mouth lightly to hers.

Just like it was the first time, each found themselves drowning in the taste of the other. The feel of the two bodies pressed up against one another brought back the memories, as if they had never been apart. They pulled away from each other, but only for an instant. Logan held Emily close to him, not wanting to let go. Emily leaned her head on his shoulder, her face angled towards his neck. She tried to will her heart to slow down, but gave up. He had this affect on her, and probably always would.

He moved his mouth so that it was right above her head before whispering a simple, "Thank you." He placed a soft kiss in her hair as he then began to twist his fingers in the long locks. Knowing exactly what he meant, Emily smiled. She lifted her head up and placed a small kiss on his shoulder, as a response. They both smiled and continued to stand there, content in each others arms.

* * *

"Momma!" came a little voice. Emily looked towards the stairs from her kitchen. She smiled at Logan and began walking over there.

"Let me go get her. It'll shock her less," Emily said. Logan just smiled back and motioned for her to go ahead.

"Momma!" the little voice yelled. The mother laughed lightly as she walked up to her daughter's room. Hannah would never get out of bed until her mother told her she could. The only exception to this rule was any holiday. Emily saw her daughter sitting up in her pink bed, her hair a wild mess. She smiled, the joy showing plainly on her face.

"You ready to get up, sunshine?" Emily asked. Hannah shook her head, a child's smile on her face. Emily sat down on the bed and held her arms out for her daughter to climb into. Hannah complied and settled herself comfortably. "Hannah, I have to tell you something."

"Are we getting a dog, Momma?" Hannah asked, her dark eyes pleading with her mother. Emily smiled lightly and continued on.

"Not today, baby. Do you remember what we talked about the other day? About Daddy?" Hannah nodded her head.

"Is Daddy here?" she asked, excitement coloring her voice.

"Yes he is, sunshine." Hannah started bouncing in her mother's arms. "He's downstairs in the living room, Hannah. You want to go see him?" She nodded her head vigorously, excitement showing clearly in her face.

The two of them walked down the stairs, hand in hand into the living room. They were a unit, a pair. That's how Logan saw them at first. His heart was pounding violently, waiting for his daughter's reaction. Hannah stood there for a few seconds, trepidation clear. Emily lightly squeezed her hand, encouraging her. She gave Logan a small smile.

"Hannah? You can talk to him," Emily whispered to her daughter.

"Daddy?" she said quietly before giving him a shy smile. Logan smiled back at her, their grins an exact mirror of each others, and crouched down. He opened his arms, slightly. Hannah took this as an invitation. Before he knew it, his daughter was wrapped tightly around him. Logan let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He held on tightly to the small child. This small being was his daughter, and she was accepting him.

Emily watched as the two most important people in her life held tightly onto each other. This is what she had been waiting for, and she hadn't even realized it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Authors Note: WHOA. Big response to that last one. Thank you SO much for all of your reviews! Gonna be honest, I read them several times because they make me THAT happy! So thank you for that! :D**

**Despite the happy go lucky fluffiness that happened last chapter, this story is far from over. Those who read my last one know that I don't do easy happy ever afters. There's more to tell...**

**SuperSillyStories**** - YESSS. Everything is out in the open (or is it..?)! Hannah is the world's cutest child. The end. Lmao. I love her to death. She might be based a lot on my own nieces...Lol.  
****Emy . Elle**** - Already said this...but you think that they can be a family now? *evil laughter* NOPE. Not done yet! :D  
****Tokala**** - *hands over tissues* Here you go! Hmmm...you're def right about it not being smooth sailing.  
****Carlos'sCupcake**** - Of course, he had to find out in a dramatic-esque way. Lol. And I think I may have an addiction to cliffhangers. Oops. Ahahaha.  
****Paumichyy**** - I loved the video! I'm glad that you liked Logan's reaction, even though it wasn't what you expected! I just..he couldn't be upset for too long. Lol.  
****Guest**** - Yayayayyyy! I knew you'd like it! And I'm glad that you weren't too frustrated by the cliffhangers...bc I might have an addiction to them. Lol! And as for the guys...you'll see VERY soon (btw - how do you manage to guess EVERY time what I'm about to do?)! :)  
****SeraphinaCruz**** - Oh wow! I definitely am proud then! I am SO glad that you love this story. :)  
****AndiHenderson**** - Yay! I'm glad that you liked it!  
Logan's Honey Pie - First, I'm so glad you loled at the 'duck pond' thing! No lie, that was my favorite part of that whole chapter. I'm so dumb. Lol. Clint is SO totally an asshole. No redeeming qualities there. I'm sorry! I don't mean to make you bite your nails off, esp after you've worked so hard! :) AND YAY! The truth is out in the open! But hmmm...you could totally be right about something coming up... ;)  
**

* * *

"Still hate flying, babe?"

Kate looked at James, nodding as they headed towards baggage claim after exiting the plane. "Absolutely."

"You know what would make it better…,"

"I don't care if we're on a fully loaded airplane or a private jet with just the two of us. For the last time, we are not joining the mile high club, Diamond," she replied, cutting him off. Kate turned to her husband, giving him an apathetic look in response to his smirk. She arched an eyebrow at him. "I have no idea why I put up with you."

"Because you can't resist my charms."

Kate rolled her eyes and held her arms out to him. "Here, let me take Naomi so you can grab the suitcases."

"That's why you want me; so I can cart the luggage," he said as he handed her their sleeping daughter. This time she smirked at him.

"Of course, babe. Might as well put those muscles to use."

He laughed and loaded up the cart with their two suitcases, following his wife to pick up their rental car. Once they were settled and on the road, James noticed Kate looking nervously out the window.

"What is it, Kate?" he asked her quietly. She turned towards him giving him a small smile.

"It's nothing really. I still can't believe that Logan's a dad."

A quick laugh escaped from James' chest as he shook his head in disbelief. "You're telling me. I was just as surprised as you when he called." He paused for a moment, thinking back. "He was really hung up over this girl when I first met him. For the first month all he could talk about was Emily and how she was coming out here with him. We had just shot the pilot when he came back here for her."

"He must have been devastated realizing she was gone," Kate murmured. James gave a sound of assent.

"He was. He came back to L.A., talking about quitting and searching the country for her. Kendall was the one who talked him out of it. Told him he couldn't give up this opportunity for a girl who had disappeared without even a note. That seemed to cement it for him."

"Meanwhile, she's off alone and pregnant. Poor girl," she said, turning back to look at her own daughter, still sleeping in her car seat. "I can't even imagine. What her dad did…well, he makes my parents look like stellar parents of the year in comparison."

James reached over and grasped his wife's hand, squeezing it gently before running his thumb in circle's over the back.

"I don't think Logan ever really got over her. He's dated quite a few women, but nothing serious."

"So you think this is it for him?" Kate asked. James gave a nonchalant shrug.

"It's possible. Especially now knowing that they have a daughter between them. It's just a matter of them being able to work out a relationship after all these years."

* * *

"Relax, Em."

Emily shot Logan a frantic, yet pointed glare. "Relax? Your famous rock star buddies are all coming to see you, some of them staying here in my house, and you want me to _relax?!_" she shrieked. Logan just grinned at her, his dimples mocking her panic.

"Well yeah."

She gave a frustrated groan, hitting him over the head with a throw pillow before continuing to straighten up the living room for the fifth time in an hour. Logan laughed and sat down on the couch. Hannah sat on the floor next to the coffee table, drawing in a child size sketchbook that Logan had bought for her. Her childish giggles joined Logan's laughter, only fueling another glare from Emily.

It had been three weeks since Logan had met Hannah. In that time, he had moved into the house with Emily, stating that in order to get to know both of them again, he'd need to be around all the time. Emily had rolled her eyes, lips twitching with a smile as she agreed.

Their relationship, if you could even call it that, was rocky. While they both admitted to loving each other, they were still trying to find their footing. Saying those three words didn't erase seven years. Or magically make things easy. But they were trying.

Even though it had only been a few weeks, Logan was already subtly pushing for Emily and Hannah to move back with him to California. That was another argument just waiting to happen. So Emily pushed it aside, choosing to ignore his hints for the time being.

Truthfully, Emily didn't know what would happen with them. She was forced to stay here for another 5 months, which she still hadn't mentioned to Logan. He was under the impression that she had moved back home for good. In reality though, Emily had a life in New York. She had a job that she had worked hard for; one that she actually enjoyed. And Hannah had school and friends up there. Not to mention Grace was still up there. Emily couldn't imagine leaving her mom again. And she knew that Grace wouldn't want to move out to California.

Emily wasn't willing to sacrifice the life they had up in New York just for a man, even if he was her first and only love. But she wasn't ready to confront Logan on that just yet either. They had just found each other again. Their relationship was difficult enough without throwing in that wrench.

So for now, she pushed it aside.

But the band was coming. And that terrified her for some odd reason. She knew Logan was famous now; that he was some big star. She had always known him as the boy she grew up with. But the band coming meant that she had to deal with famous Logan. And Emily didn't know how to handle that.

The only thing she could do was clean incessantly, anxiously waiting for their arrival. A knock on the door had her heart leaping in her chest. Hannah popped up, eyes wide with excitement.

"Can I get it, Daddy?" she asked Logan. Emily's heart melted a little; hearing Hannah refer to him as her Dad prompted that reaction in her. Logan stood up, taking the small hand in his own.

"Let's go together."

The duo walked into the hallway towards the front. They opened the door to see James and Kate standing there, James holding onto their now awake daughter.

"Hey," Logan said casually. Kate just let out a little shriek and instantly wrapped her arms around him. The two males grinned at each other over the female between them.

"Oh I've missed you, you big idiot," Kate said as she stepped back. She took Naomi from James so he could greet his friend. Looking down, she saw the pixie like child standing next to Logan. Kate was taken aback at just how much she looked like him. Besides for the golden hair framing her small face, it was like looking at his miniature. Kate crouched down and smiled at her. "And you must be Miss Hannah. I've heard a lot about you."

Hannah immediately grinned, the same crooked grin as her father. "I bet it's all been good," she replied.

Both Kate and James laughed. "Oh you can bet it was," James said to her. Before they could say anything else, a small whining noise got their attention. Hannah's eyes widened as she looked into the carrier next to James.

"Puppy!" she shrieked out. James bent down, opening the small carrier.

"This is Fox. You want to let him out…," he trailed off as Hannah took off with Fox towards the fenced in backyard. He cocked an eyebrow at Logan.

"Likes dogs, does she?"

Logan rolled his eyes. "You have no idea. Em says she's been begging for a dog for years now. Fox will be well loved while you're here." Turning back to Kate, he held his arms out. "Let me hold this beautiful little girl."

Smiling, Kate handed Naomi over to him. He cradled her close and jerked his head towards the living room.

"Come on in and meet Em. She's probably just dying in there waiting."

Emily's heart stopped when they walked in. James was tall and handsome, almost like a fairy tale character, someone you don't expect to actually be real. Next to him stood a much shorter woman than him, with dark hair that fell past her shoulders. Her arm was wrapped around her husband's waist, his draped over her shoulders. There was a casual, yet intimate closeness between them. They fit.

But what caught her eye was Logan holding a small baby, cradled close to his chest. The small child had dark hair like her parents and wide eyes that were glued to Logan's face. He was grinning down at her, rocking her back and forth. Emily felt a small pang at that, picturing him holding onto Hannah as a baby. She shook herself out of those thoughts and turned to the couple.

Kate was the first to move forward, a warm smile on her face. "You must be Emily. I'm Kate, and this idiot here is my husband James," she said motioning to James.

Emily took her hand in her own, shaking it briefly before doing the same with James.

"And this of course is our daughter, Naomi," Kate finished, pointing to the wriggling infant in Logan's arms. She made to take her from Logan, but he stepped out of her reach.

"Nope. I need some more time with this little beauty," he said, still grinning. Emily stood there, feeling a little uncomfortable. She didn't know how to handle having someone famous in her home, especially when that person was a virtual stranger.

"Um. Make yourselves at home," she said with a politely stiff voice, gesturing to the couches. They all sat down, James immediately relaxing, tossing his arm back around his wife's shoulders. Emily met Logan's eyes, his giving her a questioning look at her strange and distant behavior. She looked away quickly.

"You have a lovely home," Kate said, her eyes wandering around the room. "I love what you've done in here. That print above the fireplace is absolutely gorgeous."

"Thank you," Emily replied. "I tried to make it more friendly than what it used to be."

"Em works for an interior design company now," Logan supplied, bouncing Naomi in his arms to keep her from fussing.

"Actually I'm the assistant to the CEO of the company. I don't actually do interior design," she was quick to correct. Kate looked at her in interest.

"Are you really? That's fabulous. Still, you have amazing taste. I love how open and airy this is."

"Babe, you just love design period. When we did our house, she made me go over every single detail with her. It was pure torture."

Kate shot James a glare and elbowed him. Emily couldn't help it, she let out a snort of laughter, causing Kate to give her an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry. They bring out the violent side of me," she said in explanation. Emily grinned at her, finally starting to feel comfortable.

"Oh I understand. I'm tempted to throttle him daily," she replied, jerking her head in the direction of Logan. He looked up at her, an innocent look on his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said right as Naomi started to cry. Kate immediately took her, resting her on her shoulder and patting her bottom lightly to shush her.

"She's wet. James can you grab the diaper bag? Emily, is there somewhere I can change her?"

"You could just change her in here. I've got my own child, so it's nothing I haven't seen. But if you'd like, I could show you to your room."

"Are you sure that you don't mind us staying here?" Kate asked hesitantly. "Naomi still sometimes wakes up in the night and I don't want to disturb you with a crying baby."

Emily grinned at her, moving towards the stairs. "Oh it's completely fine. Like I said, I have my own daughter, so I remember those days. Now come on. I'll show you to the guest room."

The two women smiled at each other, a friendship forming in that moment.

"That would be wonderful."

* * *

After the initial awkwardness, Emily and Kate hit it off. Maybe it was a mother thing. Or maybe it was because they were both involved with members of the band. Maybe it was the shared dislike of their families. Or maybe it was simply because they recognized a kindred spirit within each other. They settled out on the back porch, talking like they had known each other for years.

"So you went on tour with them without any preparation or clue of what you were doing?" Emily asked her incredulously. Kate sipped on her tea, giving a slight moan of appreciation.

"Damn, you know how to make this right. And to answer your question, yes. Craziest, yet greatest decision I ever made."

Emily raised her glass in a toast to Kate. "Brownie points for you. I don't know that I could have dealt with that much testosterone for that long without killing one of them. Namely Logan."

Kate laughed at that. "Fight much?" Emily gave another snort.

"Oh yeah. Seems like that's all we do. In fact, that was half of our relationship when we were in high school." She paused, watching Logan playing out in the yard with Hannah and Fox, a small smile appearing on her face. "But we enjoy it, mostly. Arguing is just what we do."

"Nothing wrong with that."

This time Kate paused. She eyed Emily through her sunglasses, wanting to be careful. "How are you doing? Dealing with all of this," she said, gesturing to where Logan and Hannah were. "I mean, it must be difficult for you suddenly having Logan back." Emily raised her eyebrows at Kate, causing the brunette to shrug. "I know we don't know each other well. But I know what it's like to move quickly." She raised her hand, pointing to herself. "James and I are the masters of moving quickly. And that was without all the history between us. And as much as I love Logan, I know him. I know he's got to be pushing you. And that you must be overwhelmed."

Emily sighed a little.

"I did not expect any of this when I arrived here. I thought I was going to come back, settle my father's estate and go back to New York. Then it all went to shit. Seeing Logan again was not something I had expected. And then I had to move back here because of a…complication," she said slowly. "Finding out my father was the reason I thought Logan had abandoned me was a huge shock. Although, admittedly not as huge as Logan finding out about Hannah."

Her gaze wandered off to her daughter, currently rolling on the grass with the small dog, giggling insanely. She smiled, watching the father and daughter duo.

"She's absolutely beautiful," Kate said softly. "You must be proud of her."

"Oh I am. That little girl there is my whole world," Emily replied quickly. "Which you understand." Kate gave her a smile, nodding. "I never planned on telling Logan about Hannah. Hell, I never expected to see him again in my life. But here we are."

"Here you are. How are you holding up?"

She let out a breath on a whoosh of air and pushed back some of the hair that had fallen from her ponytail. "Better than I thought I would be," she replied honestly. She looked over at Kate, giving her a considering glance. "We should go out one night with my friends Cassie and Amanda. Have a girls night."

A large smile lit Kate's face. "I would kill for a girls night."

Before she could respond, James walked outside, Naomi in one arm, her car seat in the other. He set the seat down and placed her in it, lowering the handle so the small child could reach up and play with the toys dangling from it.

"Kendall should be arriving any moment. Carlos will be in late tonight. He had to push his flight back due to some last minute problems in the studio," he said to the women. Kate grinned up at him.

"This is the first time y'all will all be together in months."

He laughed and placed a kiss on her forehead. "We'll have to do something big then."


	12. Chapter 12

**Authors Note: Ahhhh. I'm sorry this so coming out later than I had expected. And it's kinda short. But I'm building up a few things!  
**

**Thank you SO MUCH for all of your support and reviews! I love y'all SO incredibly MUCH! You have NO IDEA (and I know some of y'all just sang along to that *cough* RINA *cough*) what you mean to me!  
**

**Logan's Honey Pie**** - Oh yeah. She had to meet the guys at some point. And it's def a good thing that they get along! You'll have at least a few chapters that shouldn't make you want to bite your nails! Can't promise for the rest of the story..but I'll give you warning! :)  
****Emy . Elle**** - Bahaha! But she's just a fake character. You're my actual friend! :) Ohhhh Carlos & Amanda? Hmmm...you might be onto something there... ;)  
****RandomWriter23**** - Yes! They're together and the truth is all out! But happy? Not for long...lol!  
****Tokala**** - Oh I know. I'm pretty sure James is just inhumanly pretty. It's not normal. Lol. It's def a good thing that Kate & Emily like each other.  
****SuperSillyStories**** - Kids are the best. And hot guys with kids? That's just like BOOM. Instant heart melting. And DUDE. When we go to the concert, you can totally convince him to have babies with you! And of course the guys are going to do something. And SO WILL YOU. :D  
****Carlos'sCupcake**** - Ohhhh it's going to be exciting all right. They can't all be together without something happening. ;) And yay for female friendships! Things are always better when you've got another friend.  
****Guest**** - Of course. You know that Kate can't wait to be with all the guys again. Poor Emily has no idea what she's getting into with all of them. Lol. But Kate's def a good friend for her bc of her own experiences. And I def plan to continue writing! :)  
****SeraphinaCruz**** - Ahaha yay! I'm glad that you loved it so much! And it's true, there's no fun in things ending so easily. I hate that. Lol. And I def don't mind how many times you use the word love... :D You totally will NOT be deprived of your Carlos fix...I've got something big for him. **

* * *

Kendall arrived a short time later, much to Kate's excitement. Emily found Kendall to be a very relaxed guy; something she very much appreciated. Since Carlos wasn't arriving until later, they had decided to go ahead and have dinner. Cassie and Amanda came over, thrilled to be introduced to the rest of the band.

Kate had put Naomi down, bringing a portable baby monitor clipped onto her jeans. They were all just hanging out, wandering from the back porch to the kitchen. James came up behind his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Stop worrying babe," he said in her ear. Kate turned her gaze away from the stairs, giving him a small smile. "She's fine."

"I know. It's just her first night in a new place and I want to be sure that she'll be okay."

James chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Relax Kate. Carlos should be here any moment." The ringing of a doorbell had Kate jumping in his arms. "I bet that's him now."

Kate looked over at Emily, asking silently. Emily nodded and held her arm towards the door in invitation. Breaking out of his embrace, Kate ran over to the door. She opened it, a huge grin on her face.

"Katie!" Carlos yelped before grabbing her into a huge bear hug that had her laughing. When he put her down, she held him back at arms length.

"You okay? Flight okay?" she questioned. Carlos laughed at her.

"Never change, Katie. Everything's great. Where's my favorite little girl?" he asked, peeking around her.

"I just put her down for the night. Come on in and meet everyone. There's another little girl who I think will steal your heart."

Carlos followed Kate outside, greeting Emily and Cassie with an overly friendly hug. He felt a small tug on his shirt and looked down to see a pixie like miniature version of Logan. He crouched down and immediately scooped her into his arms, twirling her around. Giggles erupted from the small girl. Kate walked over to Emily and Cassie.

"Your daughter will never go to sleep with Carlos here," Kate said to the woman next to her. Emily laughed.

"Hannah never meets a stranger. I still haven't figured out if that's a good or bad thing." From across the porch, Logan looked at her, eyebrows raising at her in question. He gestured his head over to Carlos and Hannah. Emily nodded at him. He turned to his friend and daughter.

"30 more minutes, Hannah," he called out. Both Carlos and the child shot him a pleading look. Logan crossed his arms, trying to look serious. But a few seconds of the puppy look from both of them had him cracking. "Fine. 45 minutes, but that's final."

They turned to Emily, same pleading looks but she just raised an eyebrow at them. "Don't even try it." She smirked at their disappointed faces before turning back to Logan. He grinned at her, giving a small laugh and shrugging sheepishly at her.

Emily was surprised at how easy it was being around all of them. They made her feel welcome, like part of the group. And she wasn't sure why she thought that Logan would be different around the guys. If anything, he was more Logan-esque with them. As she watched him joke around them, she smiled, seeing the boy that she fell in love with in the man standing in front of her.

Logan the boy already owned her heart. If she wasn't careful, Logan the man would soon lay claim on it.

Throughout the night, he kept catching her eyes, asking her silently if she was okay. Emily would just smile back at him in assurance, gesturing him back to his friends.

Cassie looked over at Kate, taking in the goofy grin on her face as she watched the four males with the small child.

"You good, Kate?"

Startled, she turned to her new friends next to her. "I'm great. It's just good to have all four of them together again." She paused, a smirk appearing on her face. "Are y'all sure you're prepared for this week? Things can get kind of crazy with the four of them," she said gesturing to them.

Cassie laughed. "I teach kindergarten. Bring it on."

"What about you, Em? You're going to have both Logan and James in your house. You think you can handle it?"

Emily's eyebrow raised to match Kate's. "I've dealt with Logan since childhood. And I've raised his daughter by myself. I think I'll be okay." She smirked back at Kate. "Besides, you're their handler right? I can just defer to you if I've got a problem."

The brunette sighed, shrugging in resignment.

"Damn. You got met there."

"Hey! When the hell did the party move out here? I go to the bathroom and get some more snacks and suddenly you disappear!" came Amanda's voice as she stepped out onto the porch, holding a large bowl of chips in one hand and a drink in the other.

The women laughed at Amanda, grabbing the bowl from her and setting it down on the table. Hannah, catching sight of her, ran over and latched her small arms around Amanda's legs. She laughed, picking up the small child and swinging her around in a circle before setting her back down.

Carlos watched the woman holding onto the pixie like child in awe. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Her hair was long and dark, her laugh captivating him. He didn't even realize he was staring at her until her eyes met his. Her eyebrows quirked up at him, and she gave him a small smile, leaning over to whisper something to her sister.

Logan started laughed, clapping a hand on Carlos' back. "You okay there, Los?"

Carlos shook his head, snapping himself out of his gaze and turned to his friends who were giving him knowing grins.

"Who is she?" he asked, not even bothering to hide his interest.

"Cassie's sister, Amanda. She owns her own catering business. From what Em tells me, she travels quite a bit, catering for huge events all over the country. She's rarely home for more than a few weeks before heading out again."

Meanwhile, Amanda was asking her own questions.

"Alright. Who's the hottie with the muscles?" she asked.

"That would be Carlos," Kate supplied, leaning over Cassie.

"Give me the details."

"Carlos: Working on a solo album right now. Based in L.A. Giant sweetheart and sometimes overprotective, but in a good way. He can get really intense, especially about something he loves. One of my best friends. Oh, and he's single," Kate finished, smirking at Amanda. The latina eyed Carlos up and down with interest.

"What's the problem then?"

"No problem. Other than the fact that he's almost constantly busy. But they all are," she replied, her hand carelessly waving at the direction of the men across from them.

"What the hell are we doing on separate sides? This isn't some middle school dance. Let's move, ladies," Cassie said, pushing at the other three to cross over to them, specifically pushing her sister in the direction of Carlos.

Emily laughed as she stumbled and landed in Kendall's arms. He grinned down at her. But before he could say anything, she was plucked neatly out of his grasp by Logan.

"Get your hands off my woman, Knight," he said, an easy grin on his face as he tossed his arm around her shoulders.

"You're one to talk, Mitchell," James called out to him, standing behind his wife, arms around her waist.

Emily raised an eyebrow at Logan. "Care to explain?" she asked, smirking at his choked look. Kate laughed, deciding to save him.

"Oh nothing. Logan happened into a few unsuspecting moments during various tours. And James here just tends to go all caveman whenever any of them so much as places a hand on my shoulder," she teased. He grinned at his wife. He nudged her, urging her to look over to the other side of the deck.

Amanda and Carlos were standing together, engaged in a conversation. Her hand was trailing lightly up and down his arm, which seemed to be flexing every few seconds. Emily and Cassie shared a look between them, trying to stifle their laughter.

"She's totally putting the moves on him," Emily supplied before clapping a hand over her mouth.

"He's doing it too. His muscles don't do that repeatedly on their own just standing there," Kendall replied. There was a wolfish grin on his face, as he turned to his two other band mates. The devious look that passed between the three of them did not go unnoticed by Kate. Before they could do anything, she broke out of James' embrace and stepped in front of them all, blocking them.

"I don't know what y'all are planning, but you can shove it. It's not happening. Save it, Diamond," she said, throwing a hand up as James started to protest. "Any of you even try to interrupt and I promise you'll have my wrath to deal with," she threatened.

"Not to mention, Manda's," Emily piped up.

"She's got a real mean streak. I know from experience," Cassie said, shuddering slightly at the memory. Emily patted a hand on her shoulder, giving her a commiserating look.

"Now go do something productive, like bring some of these empty platters and bowls into the kitchen. Move!" Kate instructed, hands on her hips. Sighing, the three males started to do as she said.

"Logan," Emily said, causing him to stop and look at her in question. "Would you take Hannah upstairs?" she asked, pointing to their daughter. The small child was curled up on a chair, Fox nestled into her side. She was desperately trying to keep her eyes open, but they kept drooping. He nodded, walking over to the girl and lifting her in his arms.

"I'm not sleepy, Daddy," she said, her voice tired as her head fell onto his shoulder.

"Of course not, sunshine. We're just gonna go upstairs so we can read the next chapter in our bedtime book," he replied as he carried her into the house.

Emily watched the exchange, her heart leaping once more at the interaction between father and daughter. Kate placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed slightly.

"Logan's a great dad."

"Hannah's in love with him," Emily replied softly. "I just, seeing them bond like that. Seeing Logan with her…," she trailed off. Kate smiled at her.

"I know. I have my own daughter. Watching James with her melts my heart."

Emily smiled back at her, grateful for the understanding. Suddenly, she smirked.

"That was impressive," she said, waving over to where Carlos and Amanda were.

"Yeah. You had complete control over three grown men," Cassie added in wonder. Kate laughed and gave a small shrug.

"I toured with them for three years," she replied as if in explanation. "You either learned how to control them or ran screaming from the bus. You'll see."


	13. Chapter 13

**Authors Note: Got it out sooner than I expected! Hah. I'm thinking I'll be able to get another one out on Monday. Possibly late Sunday if I've got time!  
**

**THANK YOU to everyone who reads & reviews! I appreciate it SO much. I would not be posting this if it weren't for y'all! You make my heart happy! :)**

**SuperSillyStories**** - Carlos with a cute child? Yeah. That's just like...OVARIES GO BOOM. Lol. And heck yes you touched his muscles! You're going to touch a whole hell of a lot more if we're being honest. :P  
****Guest**** - Hannah is just adorable. Throw in Fox and Logan as a cute dad and WHOA there. Feels all over the place! And it's def a good thing that Kate's got control over them! They're men...they need some sort of leash. :P  
****Tokala ****- Bahahaha! Girl, you're not alone on that. I'm pretty sure I've said those exact words before.  
****Emy . Elle**** - ..So basically I'm not allowed to have any other friends? Lol. :D I love you, Rina. Please never change. Lol. And ahhhh! If I could, I would send you the whole story now so you didn't have to wait for the little next button. But I kinda don't have it written. Lol.  
****SprinklzAndPixieDust**** - You too? FF wasn't letting me review on things either! I'm pretty sure that putting a child with any hot guy will cause your ovaries to just explode. It's like my heart instantly melts! And yes! Reunion for them! I couldn't resist. :)  
****Carlos'sCupcake**** - Amanda & Carlos have their own little plot line coming up. *grins evilly* I just couldn't resist doing it! And whaaaaat? What makes you think that something bad could happen? :P I would never...bahahaha that's a lie. Yeaaaah. Can't be happy for too long. Lol. And girl, I am in love with YOUR writing. The end.  
****SeraphinaCruz**** - Yes! Awesome sauce is the BEST kind of sauce! And I'll give you a sneak peek...you're going to have a BIG Carlos fix in the future. In fact...it's possible that he'll be getting his own story after this one. *whistles innocently* :D  
****Logan's Honey Pie**** - Yay! I try. Lol. Your nails should be safe this chapter. I promise to give you warning before! :)  
**

* * *

"Are you sure that everything's going to be okay," Kate asked once again as they drove out of the small town, out to the city for a girls night. She fidgeted in the backseat, worry clear in her posture. "I've never left Naomi for this long or gone more than thirty minutes away…"

"I know. It's hard to leave your baby," Emily replied, patting her on the shoulder. She gave her an encouraging smile. "But she'll be okay. All of the guys are there and…," she trailed off. Her smile faded away, replaced by panic that was mirrored on the other mother's face. "Oh who am I kidding? I don't trust the four of them with my little girl. Turn the car around, Cass."

"No can do, mama," the petite woman said from the front. "The kids will be fine. Besides, the guys are just like big kids anyways."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Emily muttered.

"So stop worrying."

"Yeah because we are so going to party tonight!" Amanda said before letting out a yell.

"Fine, but I get two check up calls," Kate conceded.

"Ditto!" Emily agreed with her.

"You each get one. Otherwise you'll be calling all night."

* * *

"I don't know what they were so worried about. We can so handle this," Kendall said a little while after the women left.

"Yeah. I've got a seven month old. I can handle anything," James added confidently.

Logan laughed. "It's only a few hours. How hard can it be?"

Two hours later and they were regretting those words. Naomi was fussing more than usual. She had been changed, fed, burped and rocked, yet nothing would calm her down. Kendall was taking a turn cradling the infant in his arms, swinging them back and forth in hopes that the motion would lull her.

Hannah, on the other hand, was pitching a fit over her bedtime. When pleading and puppy eyes didn't extend her playtime hours, she resorted to yelling. Logan had finally snapped at the small girl out of frustration. The harsh tone in her father's voice was unfamiliar to her, causing her lower lip to protrude and a flood of tears to escape. She collapsed on the couch, impossibly loud wails coming from the small body.

"Hannah Grace, I'm going to tell you one more time…," Logan started, frustration ringing through loud and clear. Before he could go on, another loud sob erupted from his daughter.

"Dude, clearly that's not working," James said as he came down the stairs holding his own daughter's favorite blanket. Logan shot him a glare.

"Don't you have your own problem to deal with, Diamond?" he retorted, pointing to the whimpering baby in Kendall's arms. James gave a resigned sigh, walking over to his friend and taking his daughter. Wrapping her up in the soft pink blanket, he held her close to his chest, her head close to his shoulder. He rocked her slowly, shushing her gently, causing her whimpers to quiet down.

Logan looked back at his own daughter, exasperation on his face. He opened his mouth to speak again but was interrupted by Carlos. He sat down next to the crying girl, pulling her into his arms and whispering quietly in her ear. Slowly, she nodded, her own cries stopping. Carlos stood up, lifting her with him. He shrugged at Logan's puzzled face before carrying her towards the stairs. Logan fell back onto the couch, a look of shock painting his features. He could hear the the pitiful sniffles of his daughter as Carlos walked up the stairs with her.

Kendall collapsed on the couch next to him, eyes wide. For a moment, none of them said anything for fear of breaking the tentative peace. James was walking Naomi in a circle, the infant almost asleep, her blanket draped over his shoulder. Finally, Kendall broke the silence.

"Pink looks good on you, man. It's really your color," he teased in a hushed voice. James flipped him off over his shoulder, turning around and slowly sitting in an armchair.

"That's the first major tantrum Hannah's thrown since I've been here," Logan said as Carlos reappeared. He joined them, sitting on the floor in a haphazard manner. Fox scrambled over, jumping willingly into his lap.

"She's out," he supplied at Logan's questioning glance.

"What'd you say to her?"

Carlos shrugged nonchalantly. "I told her she could stay up for as many books as we could read," he replied with a grin. "She was out before I could read one sentence. Sometimes kids just need another adult to give them a fake escape route." He looked over at James. "She asleep?" he asked, nodding towards the baby.

"Yeah. She finally calmed down."

"Why don't you take her upstairs then?"

James looked at Kendall like he had two heads.

"And risk waking her? Oh hell no. I've been on the other end of that. Never again," he said, giving a miniscule shudder at the memory. "We're just going to stay right here in this chair where everything is peaceful and calm."

Kendall gave a snort of laughter to which James responded with a sharp, dirty look, flipping off his friend once more.

"So much for having a relaxing guys night," Carlos said, a yawn escaping him. "I'm exhausted after that."

"Tell me about it. I didn't know that a six year old could drain that much energy out of you," Kendall added. He looked over at Logan who was still sitting there with the expression of someone in shock. "How are you managing it?"

Logan snapped out of his trance to look at his friends. "Well enough. It's an adjustment."

James laughed at that. "Dude. Adjustment is an understatement. It was an adjustment bringing home a newborn," he said referring to Naomi. "You found out you had a six year old a few weeks ago. One that you'd never met. And now you're supposed to be her father, an authority figure. That's a shit load right there."

He lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. "Hannah makes it easy, for the most part," he replied, clearly still exhausted from the small war that had been waged between them. "I thought it might be odd, trying to form a relationship with her. But it's not. I don't know; it's like there's a bond that's always been there. She's my daughter. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her, you know?"

The other two just kind of looked at him, nodding. James, on the other hand, grinned at him in understanding. "Yeah, I know," was all he said.

There was a few moments of silence between them. Carlos finally spoke up. "What about Emily? You were bat shit crazy over her when you moved to L.A."

"Yeah. She was all you would talk about," Kendall agreed. "Is she…it?"

Logan was quiet, his eyes trained on the floor as he thought. He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. Slowly, he looked up at his band mates.

"I think so."

* * *

When the women entered the house, it was dead silent, with the exception of the giggles coming from an inebriated Kate. Amanda helped her through the door along with Emily. Cassie was waiting in the car for her sister to come back out.

"This was soooo fun y'all," Kate slurred as they stumbled through the foyer. "I don't drink a lot normally."

"You sure did tonight," Amanda muttered.

In fact, Kate was the only one to drink that much. Amanda had supplied both her and Emily with a few drinks to loosen them up; keep them from worrying about their daughters. Emily knew what Amanda was up to and stopped at number two. Kate, on the other hand, had no idea what Amanda was capable of. After the first few, she stopped questioning where the drinks were coming from. And let loose she did.

"I'm not drunk!" Kate replied indignantly. She slipped out of the two women's grasps and fell on the floor in a giggling heap. Amanda swore and hauled her back up, tossing one of Kate's arms around her own shoulders. "I'm just a little…"

"Tipsy. We know," Emily finished for her. She tried to bite back a smile at that.

"You told us about ten times on the drive back tonight," said Amanda as they entered the living room.

They were met with the sight of all four males passed out. Kendall was on the couch, an arm and leg each hanging off the side. Logan was leaning back in an arm chair, head tilted to the side. Carlos was lying face down on the floor, Fox using his back as his own personal bed. James was reclining in the other armchair, Naomi asleep on his chest.

Amanda took no pity on them. She flipped on the lights and allowed Kate to fall once more, giggling madly, right next to Carlos. The guys all groaned, slowly waking up. Before Naomi could stir fully awake, Emily swooped in and grabbed her up. James sat up, shaking his head to clear it.

"I'll take her up," he said, sleep evident in his voice. Emily shook her head.

"It's okay. Let me. It's been a long time since I've had a baby to put to bed," she replied as she walked up the stairs. Amanda waited until her friend had taken Naomi into the bedroom before she turned on them.

"Alright boys, it's time to go. Now haul ass. I don't want to be waiting here all night," she said, tapping her foot impatiently as Carlos and Kendall stared at her in sleepy haze. "Move it!" she yelled.

They immediately got up and shuffled towards the door, confused at what was going on. Logan wandered upstairs, still half asleep. Amanda turned and jabbed a finger at James.

"And you. Deal with your wife. She's drunk."

"Hey!"

"Oh excuse me. She's 'tipsy'," Amanda corrected sarcastically at Kate's protest. With that she turned on her heel and left, shutting the front door behind her.

James looked down at the floor in confusion to see Kate laying there, moving her arms and legs.

"Um, babe? What are you doing?" he asked, amusement painting his face.

"Snow angels! Or…hardwood floor angels!" she replied, giggling once more. "Come on! It's fuuuuun!"

James laughed and leaned down to scoop her up in his arms. "Come on babe. Let's get your drunk self to bed."

Kate pouted at him, crossing her arms as he carried her towards the stairs. "I don't get drunk. I'm just tipsy." Once again, James laughed.

"Nice try. You're drunk."

"Wanna take advantage?" she asked him, her face suddenly bright. He groaned at her as they rounded the stairs.

"You're going to be the death of me, babe."


	14. Chapter 14

**Authors Note: I know, I know. I said I would get this out yesterday. I fail! I ended up going to see my grandma in another town & then had to deal with other family members. It did not end well. I just could not get this done! Sorry!**

**Once again, a HUGE thank you to everyone who reads, reviews, favorites, follows & alerts! I love getting ALL kinds of feedback...even if you hate it. Lol. So THANK YOU for taking the time to review! Love y'all SO much!**

**SuperSillyStories**** - Drunk Kate is hilarious...in story form and real life. :P As long as you don't try to actually kill me if I do happen to drink on our road trip (NOT WHILE DRIVING)! And ohhh yeah! You're DEF going to be getting all up on that hot latino!  
****Tokala - ****Oh yeaaah! I've def been there. I've had quite a few outings with new moms and it's always like that. But it's understandable - at least they're distracted for a good reason! Lol.  
****SeraphinaCruz**** - Yay! I knew you'd like that little tidbit. I'm glad you thought the Hannah tantrum made it a bit more real; I always try to aim for that! So YES! Lol. And I'm not gonna lie, that bit with Kate is totally me when I'm drunk. :D  
****Emy . Elle**** - Drunk, ahem...tipsy Kate is me. Which...you kinda already know. LOL. I'm glad you found all of that amusing! And I loved the guys just passing out anywhere too! I just got the mental image and had to do it. AND GIRL. I wish I COULD write at the speed of my thoughts! Updating would be SO much easier!  
****Guest**** - Kate def deserved a night out, alcohol included! Lol. You know, I'm kinda surprised they didn't call for help either. LOL. Desperate phone calls pleading and freaking out! Oh yeah, that would've been hilarious! :D  
****Carlos'sCupcake**** - Smart. Very smart to embrace the surprise. :D And of course the guys freaked, but they figured it out...eventually. LOL. And 'tipsy' Kate miiiight have been based on real life drunk Kate. :P  
****Logan's Honey Pie**** - Oh man. Can't you just imagine them acting like that with the kids? Four of them vs two small girls? SUCH ENTERTAINMENT! Lol.  
****Anonymous Rabbit**** - Well I appreciate you reviewing now! :D And yay for things being out in the open! Now Emily just needs to come to terms with her feelings about Logan. And that's totally not going to be easy. :D And I'm so glad that you like both of them! **

* * *

Two days later, Amanda left for a huge catering event in Las Vegas. She would be there for almost two weeks, the first being work related followed by a week of relaxation. Cassie flew out with her as her unofficial assistant. The event was huge, meaning that Amanda needed all the extra hands she could get. A few days after the sisters departed, Carlos left as well, a full two days before he was supposed to. The guys just shrugged it off while Emily and Kate shared knowing smirks.

Being sneaky, Emily and Hannah managed to distract Carlos while Kate searched his itinerary and found that he had changed his ticket to travel to Las Vegas. Later that afternoon when they were alone, the women giggled over his obvious crush on Amanda.

"Should we tell Amanda that he's headed out there?" Kate asked her as they sat curled up in the living room. Naomi was sleeping in an old baby swing that Emily had found in the shed. Hannah was out with the four men, having successfully talked them into taking her for ice cream.

Emily shook her head at Kate, a small smirk planted on her face. "Oh no. Let her be surprised. I might give Cass a call though…," she mused, tapping a finger to her chin. "We should happen to mention the hotel that she's staying at before Carlos leaves this evening. Make it a little easier on him."

The brunette woman laughed. "I agree." She smiled and looked down at her sleeping daughter to be sure she was still okay. "I can't wait to see how this progresses." She gave a small contented sigh. "Another one of my boys is going to fall in love, I just know it."

Emily's eyes widened slightly at her words. Kate seemed to sense her panic and she turned to her, cocking an eyebrow at the woman across from her. "You okay, Em?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Her casual response was betrayed by her fidgeting body. Kate sighed and leaned forward to look at her.

"No you're not. You're panicking about the idea of Logan still loving you. You don't know if you can handle being in love with him now, especially because of Hannah. And the fact that he's some rock star and you have a life somewhere else. You can't take his words at face value because of all the time that's passed between you. Sure, things are good now, but they don't always stay that way. You're afraid of him loving you. More importantly, you're afraid of loving him again."

Emily just stared, her mouth opening and closing dumbly at Kate's assessment. She ran a hand through her sunlit locks, blowing out a breath as she tried formulate a response. "How um…how did you…"

"How did I know?" Kate finished, a small smile playing on her lips. "Because I went through the same thing." At Emily's questioning look, Kate continued. "I was terrified of letting James love me, of loving him. Of course, the details are different between us, but the basis is the same. They're both stars. From different lifestyles than us. I had things from my past that kept me from jumping whole heartedly into a relationship with him. You do too."

"Well, you're right about that," Emily muttered.

There was something else in her eyes, something that Kate recognized. "What aren't you telling me?" she asked.

The blonde looked up at her, not even bothering to hide her shock. Before she could protest, however, Kate just raised another eyebrow up at her. Resigned, she nodded.

"Logan's pushing. He's talking about us moving back to L.A. with him."

Understanding lit Kate's eyes. "And that's too fast for you." Emily nodded at her.

"Of course. It's barely been over a month. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled he's part of Hannah's life now. But moving out to L.A.? We can't just do that. We have a life up in New York."

"So what _are_ you doing down here then?" Kate asked her, confusion on her face. "Why did you bring Hannah down here? I doubt it was just to introduce her to Logan."

Emily chewed on her bottom lip, nerves showing through. Her feet tucked themselves under her on the arm chair.

"I understand if you don't feel comfortable telling me…," Kate trailed off. Emily was quick to interrupt her.

"No. It's fine. Might as well tell someone other than Cass and Manda." She blew out a breath, pushing the hair back from her face. "You know I came down here to settle my father's estate, right?" When Kate nodded, she continued. "Well, it got a little more complicated than that."

Taking a deep breath, she began to tell her friend about the entanglements and stipulations of her father's will. Kate swore at the appropriate places, eyes wide as Emily told her of her father's controlling ways.

"So let me get this straight. You have to stay here for six full months or you don't get your inheritance or Hannah's trust fund?" Kate asked incredulously.

"Yep."

"Well shit."

Emily laughed, feeling the tension drain slightly from her body. Suddenly, Kate looked up at her.

"You haven't told Logan this yet, have you?"

"No. I haven't. He thinks I'm here researching for work."

"Em, he needs to know. That's a fairly important detail."

"Why?" Emily retorted. "It would just upset him more to know that my father pulled some more shit. And besides, I know him. He'd offer to pay for Hannah's trust fund himself."

"And being you, you wouldn't accept that."

"Of course not," she scoffed. "I don't care if he is her father or not. And I gave my word, so I'm staying," she stated resolutely. Her arms crossed in front of her body, stubbornness reflecting in her posture.

"If he knew about the will, he might back off on pressuring you to move," Kate started. Emily shook her head.

"Which brings me to my next point. He might back off, until those six months were up. Then he'd expect me to follow him out there. And I can't do that."

"Because you have a life somewhere else. Your daughter does. And you don't want to uproot her from that."

Emily nodded at her. "Exactly. I love my job. I've worked really hard to get where I'm at. I'm not throwing it away for some man."

"But he's not just some man, Em," Kate pointed out softly. "He's the father of your daughter. Your first love. And the man who loves you now."

She was quiet for a moment. "Logan says he loves me. How do I know he's not just in love with the girl that I was?"

"You don't. You just have to trust in him."

Emily scoffed at her. "Yeah. That's easy. I spent seven years thinking he abandoned me."

"But he didn't." Emily sighed in acknowledgement. "You can't run away from your problems or your feelings, Em. I know better than anyone," Kate said with a gentle voice. Emily brought her knees up, arms wrapping around them, hugging them tightly to her chest.

"How do I keep myself from falling in love with the man he is now?" Emily asked quietly.

"You don't."

* * *

The morning they were to leave was hectic. Bags were lining the hallway as everyone said their goodbyes. Hannah was holding tightly onto Fox, devastation written on the small face at having to let the dog go.

"I promise we'll come back and visit. And you can even come visit us and play with Fox all you want," James said gently as he crouched down next to her. Hannah sniffled and handed the small dog over to him. She gave him one last pet on the head and pressed a small kiss between his ears before running upstairs to hide. Emily and Logan shared a look.

"We should really get her a dog…," Logan started. Emily held up a hand at him.

"Don't start that right now," she warned him. Turning to Kate she grinned and embraced her.

"Thank you for welcoming us into your home," Kate said to her. "And please, don't hesitate to call if you need anything. Don't be a stranger."

"Same goes," Emily said, echoing the sentiment. "You're always welcome at my house, here or in New York."

Kate turned to Logan, laughing as he picked her up, crushing her small body against his. "You know, you could still ditch pretty boy here," he said to her, his grin popping out as he let her go. She laughed again and hit his shoulder lightly before James could do worse.

"Watch it. You know how he gets," she responded. She hugged him close and turned her head towards his ear. "Don't let either of them slip away, Logan. Do what you have to in order to keep them. And show her that you're serious." Pulling away, she smiled at him and took Naomi from James.

James hugged Emily before turning to his friend. They hugged briefly, James uttering one thing. "My money's on you," he said, echoing the statement from years before. Logan grinned, understanding.

Moments later, the couple stood outside, watching the car drive away. Logan's arm was wrapped around Emily's shoulders, her head leaning on his shoulder.

"Thanks," he said simply.

"For what?" she asked him, puzzled.

"For letting them come. For dealing with the craziness for that amount of time. For doing that for me."

She shrugged slightly. "It was no big deal. I liked them, a lot. And it was good to see that side of you. Even rock star Logan is still the same guy as hometown Logan," she responded. Logan laughed a little.

"Did you really think I'd act differently?" he asked.

"Maybe a little. But it's clear to me that those guys are more than just your band mates. They're your family."

"They are." Logan was quiet for a moment. They stood there, his arm wrapped securely around her, holding her close. The breeze danced softly around them, the scent of Emily's shampoo wafted up to him, causing a smile to break onto his face slowly. He breathed her in, along with the mix of flowers that she had planted all around the front.

He was sure. No one else had ever come close to Emily. And no one ever would. They were still trying to find their way, but he figured they would do it together. He was sure this was it.

"I love you," he said softly to her.

Her heart sped up as his words drifted down to her. She pulled back to look at him, eyes scrutinizing his features. Logan stood there, letting her evaluate. Emily remembered Kate's words and she relaxed, letting out a breath. Slowly, she nodded at him, accepting.

"I can't…"

"You don't have to," he interrupted softly. "Come on. We've got a sulking child upstairs to deal with."


	15. Chapter 15

**Authors Note: I know. I am the worst person in the world! Things were crazy this past week. I thought I'd be able to update yesterday, but I had something come up that left me in a wreck. BUT I'M UPDATING NOW!**

**On that note though, my updates may continue to be like this. I'm trying to make them regular, but life is crazy. So instead of promising things, I'm just going to say that it'll probably only be once or twice a week. If I'm able to, you know there'll be more!**

**I'm skipping individual shout outs this chapter, because I'm finally starting to crash. But I wanted to get this out to you! Just know that I love ALL of you SO much! You put up with my random updates and you continue to follow me, this story AND review it! All of your reviews mean the world to me, especially when life gets crazy! So THANK YOU! **

* * *

"Emily!" yelled Cassie as she stepped into her friend's house a week later. Emily rushed into the foyer, looking at her in confusion.

"Cass? What's wrong?" she asked, wiping her hands on the dish towel she was holding. Cassie was staring at her with wide eyes, holding her phone out. Cocking an eyebrow, Emily took the device from her slowly. Her own eyes widened slightly as she looked at the picture on the screen.

"Is that…?" she trailed off, staring up at her friend. Cassie nodded.

"Amanda. With a wedding ring."

"Is it real?"

"Real and legal," she confirmed.

Emily handed the phone back to her. "I need a drink. Come on," she said. Without waiting to see if she followed, Emily walked back into the kitchen.

She tossed the towel onto the counter and pulled out the fresh pitcher of tea she had made. Cassie handed her two large tumblers which she filled to the brim with the iced tea. Emily took a long drink from hers before speaking again.

"So. Amanda got married in Vegas. To who?"

At that, Cassie's lips twitched. "Carlos."

She started coughing violently. Cassie slapped her on the back, trying to help. After a few moments, Emily calmed down and looked at her friend.

"Carlos?" she asked a little incredulously. This time it was Cassie's turn to raise her eyebrows.

"Are you really that surprised? He did fly out to Vegas after we did. He surprised the hell out of us, Amanda especially. But he stuck around and was an extra pair of hands during the prep for the event. And even though she was crazy busy, Manda was totally distracted by him, and vice versa. They both stayed, even after I flew back here."

"But still. Marriage? What the hell happened?"

Cassie laughed a little. "Manda sent me a text this morning that said, 'Surprise!' along with this picture. Naturally, I called her immediately. Of course you know Manda. She was kind of sparse on the details. But from what I understand, they both had quite a bit to drink…," she trailed off.

"Enough to get hitched?" Emily interjected. Cassie shrugged at her.

"Apparently so."

Suddenly the hilarity of the situation hit Emily and she started laughing. Cassie gave her a questioning look.

"Amanda goes to Vegas and gets hitched to a pop star that she just met? I'm sorry, but it's kind of hilarious," she replied, laughter creeping up again in her voice. "I bet it was at some tacky chapel with an Elvis impersonator."

"Actually she was quite clear on the fact that they were not hitched by Elvis. Though she did refuse to say anything else on the matter…"

"So I'm assuming that they'll get an annulment of some sorts?"

"I imagine so. She didn't get a chance to tell me. Her brand new husband had just returned, so she hung up quickly."

The two friends stared at each other before breaking out into laughter once again.

When Logan entered the house, it was to the sound of female laughter. His heart sped up slightly at the recognition of Emily's laugh. Grinning, he set down the box he was carrying and followed the noise into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" he asked, startling them. Both women's eyes widened slightly, sharing a look, communicating silently. Logan looked back and forth between them, puzzlement creeping onto his features. "Did I interrupt something?"

Sharing one last look, they shook their heads. Cassie grabbed her purse and started to exit the room. "No. I was just sharing some…interesting news with Em. I'll um, talk to you later," she said before quickly leaving. Logan stared at the empty doorway, confusion written on his face as he turned back to Emily.

"What's going on?" he repeated. Emily chewed on her bottom lip, trying to figure out how to tell him. "Is everything alright? Is Hannah okay?" he asked, voice colored with concern when she didn't respond right away.

Emily was quick to shake her head. "Everything's fine. Um. Cassie heard from Amanda this morning."

His face visibly relaxed and he nodded for her to continue. "Yeah?"

"You know that Carlos is out there with her, right?"

Logan hummed in response.

"Well. Um. They went out last night. And it's Vegas…," she trailed off.

"So what? They got trashed?" Logan chuckled a little. "That's nothing new."

"They did a little more after they got trashed."

He huffed out an impatient breath. "Spit it out, Em. What's the worst they could've done? It's not like they destroyed a hotel or got married by some tacky Elvis impersonator."

"According to Amanda, it wasn't Elvis," Emily replied.

Logan's laughter died off as he realized what she had said. He stared at her, much in the same way she had stared at Cassie.

"They got married?" he asked weakly. Emily nodded at him. "Well damn."

She moved to stand behind him, her arms wrapping around his middle and her head resting on his shoulder.

"You okay?" she questioned softly. Logan lifted one of her hands to his mouth and pressed his lips against her palm.

"Yeah. Just. Carlos married? Whoa."

"You know they're probably going to get an annulment or something?"

Logan turned around to face her, his own hands resting on her hips. A crooked grin appeared slowly on his face. "Yeah but we're never going to let him live this one down."

Emily laughed and reached up to give him a small kiss. "Let me go call Hannah inside for lunch."

Stepping out of his embrace, she walked to the back door and held it open. A few moments after calling for their daughter, Hannah raced inside, dirt and mud caked on her hands and feet. Emily just sighed.

"Go on upstairs and wash up. You can finish playing outside after lunch."

Hannah grinned her father's grin and started to run towards the stairs. A small yap stopped both her and Emily in their tracks.

Emily looked at Logan, narrowing her eyes at him. "What was that noise?" she asked him, her voice lowering. Logan tucked his hands in his pockets and gave her an innocent look.

"What noise?" he asked, feigning innocence. Before Emily could say another word, she heard the excited squeals of her daughter along with the small yapping. She glared at Logan.

"You got her a dog?" she hissed out. "Logan, we've talked about this…" Emily trailed off as her daughter came rushing in holding a yellow ball of fur.

"Mommy! Daddy! There was a puppy in a box in the hall! He was crying, so I picked him up and held him and I think he's lost. But if I kept him, then he wouldn't be lost anymore," Hannah said on one big breath. Her eyes that were identical to Logan's looked up them, wide and bright with hope.

Emily looked at Logan, exasperation and irritation clear in her green eyes. Before she could say anything, Logan crouched down in front of their daughter.

"Are you going to take care of him, Hannah?" Logan asked her. "You've got to feed him and make sure he goes to the bathroom outside. You have to teach him right from wrong. And you've got to play with him and love him. Can you do that?" he asked seriously. Hannah nodded, holding tightly to the yellow ball in her arms.

"I'll take good care of him, Daddy. I promise," she responded solemnly. Logan smiled at her and nodded, causing the small child to break out into a huge grin. With a shout of happiness, she ran up the stairs as fast as she could holding onto the wriggling pup.

When Logan stood up, he was met with an irritated Emily.

"Before you say anything, let me," he said as she opened her mouth to berate him. Crossing her arms in front of her, she huffed out a breath and gave a jerk of her head for him to continue. "Hannah needs something. She's been begging for a dog now for weeks. You saw how she was with Fox; I didn't think she'd let James take him back. I think she's old enough to handle the responsibility. I was going to wait to talk to you more about this, but I saw him and I couldn't resist. It was like he was just waiting there for me to take him home."

Emily stood there, tapping her foot against the tile floor. She let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I know Hannah wants a dog. She's wanted one for the past year or so. Having a dog here," she gestured to the house around them. "…is one thing. But in New York? It's too difficult for where we live. We live in an apartment in the city. There's no backyard for him; nowhere for him to run and play all day while Hannah's at school and I'm at work."

"And are you planning on going back there anytime soon?"

At his question, Emily just opened and closed her mouth, unsure of how to respond. Now was not the time to open that can of worms.

"Exactly. You're not in New York. You're here. Let her keep the dog, Em."

"Mommy?"

Emily turned to see her daughter, still holding onto the puppy. She looked up at her mother, bottom lip quivering.

"I can keep him, right?" she asked hesitantly. The small dark eyes were looking up at her mother, trepidation filling them. Emily melted at the look. Swearing internally at Logan, she smiled down at her daughter.

"Well I don't know sunshine. Does he have a name?" she asked, sitting down on the floor next to her daughter. Hannah gave her a smile in return and handed the puppy over to her mom. Emily held onto the yellow ball, petting it softly as she waited for her daughter's response.

"He kinda looks like Simba," the small girl said. Emily looked seriously between her daughter and the puppy, contemplating.

"Hmmm…let me see," she said before lifting the puppy up like Rafiki holding a miniature Simba. Logan chimed in, belting out the beginning of "The Circle of Life," causing both mother and daughter to break out into giggles.

"Oh he's definitely a Simba," Logan said, sitting down next to Emily and petting the small dog's head. He looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "So, what do you think, Em?"

Emily sighed at the twinkling in Logan's eyes. Her heart melted once more as she took in her daughter's hopeful expression.

"How could I say no to Simba?" she responded, a smile on her face.

Hannah's face lit up with a bright smile. She launched herself at her parents, making sure not to crush Simba between them. The pup reached up, licking each of their faces in earnest, causing them all to laugh once more. Emily met Logan's eyes over the top of their daughter's head. Her heart flip flopped in her chest at his signature grin.

Oh, she was definitely falling for him again. Falling hard and fast. And she wasn't sure that it was the right thing. But moments like these made her realize how much she appreciated him being here. How he seemed to just fit. In a short amount of time, they had become their own little family.

Emily couldn't take Logan out of Hannah's life; she wouldn't even if she could. But once the six months were up, things would change. Emily was worried enough about the effect that would have on Hannah. She couldn't afford to be worried about her own heart. But as she watched Logan hold onto both Hannah and the small dog, her heart flip flopped violently once more. Emily didn't think she'd have a choice in that matter.

She was almost in love with Logan Mitchell once again. And she was sure that it would end the same as before; with her heart getting broken by someone leaving. Only this time, she wasn't going to be the one left behind.


	16. Chapter 16

**Authors Note: This is not the most interesting chapter. But y'all. It's been an insane week. I've had epic battles, crazy people at work and generally no sleep. BUT I GOT THIS DONE! Excuse me while I go be proud of myself for that. :D**

**I love y'alls reactions to the Vegas wedding. Just a sneak peek...my next story will be focused on Carlos. :D**

**Once again, a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you readers, silent and not so silent! I appreciate ALL of you and I GREATLY appreciate those who review! It definitely helps me want to keep writing knowing that y'all actually like what I put out. So THANK YOU! **

**Emy . Elle - Bahahaha! Knew you'd get a kick out of the Vegas marriage. :D Hmmm...but will Logan _want_ to move to NY? Or will he insist that they move to LA? Remember, he's pretty damn stubborn too. :)  
SuperSillyStories - Okay, I totally couldn't resist with the Rafiki thing...mostly because I do it to my dogs and it's hilarious! LOL. AND YES. YOU SO GOT MARRIED TO HIM. :D Dude. I can't wait to start writing that story, just so I can fully explore that and the reactions from everyone!  
Carlos'sCupcake - Hmmm...now what would make you think there won't be an annulment? :P LOL. And ohh you're so right. They are DEF getting deeper into this. And there's definitely going to be some problems when the six months are up...provided Logan knows about the will by then.  
Guest - Oh I have big family fluff feels! Can you tell? :P I don't think Logan wants to let her go...but he may have no choice in the matter. They've got two separate lives on opposite coasts. We'll see how that plays out. And I just want to say, thank you. Your reviews ALWAYS make me smile and feel so happy! I'm SO glad that you enjoy this! :D  
Tokala - ****I love the Carlos got married in Vegas...you'll see more about that event later. **And you'll find out then whether or not they stay together.  
Logan's Honey Pie - Vegas wedding and family dog! I just realized that was kind of an odd combination in a chapter. LOL. And you are SO right; Emily IS falling for him again.  
SeraphinaCruz - I so couldn't resist naming him Simba! LOL. And YES! Ominous foreshadowing! I love doing that. And you're right. Love is DEF not sunshine and happiness all the time. I'm glad that you liked the Vegas wedding. I've had that idea since the beginning and I've been DYING to incorporate it. Now I can't wait to actually START that story. LOL.  


* * *

Emily hummed quietly to herself as she flipped through some design magazines. She was sitting cross legged on the bed, pages ripped out and spread all over the quilt that covered the large bed. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, a look of deep concentration written on her face. Shaking her head a little, she tossed a few of the pages off the bed and into a trash can. Grabbing a huge black binder, she began to organize the remaining pages into it.

A thump on her window had her jumping. Hand pressed to her heart, she slowly got off the bed and crept towards the window cautiously. She jumped once more as it happened again. Taking a deep breath, she quickly opened the curtains and looked out. Her breath returned and an exasperated look appeared on her face when she spotted Logan grinning up at her. She opened the window and stuck her head out.

"What the hell are you doing? I thought you were working on something downstairs?" she called out quietly, trying not to wake up Hannah.

"I was. Now I'm working on you," he replied. "Come outside with me."

Emily glanced back, looking in the direction of their daughter's room. Logan knew what she was thinking.

"Hannah's fine. She's sound asleep with Simba. If she wakes up, she'll come find us. We'll just be out here." Emily chewed on her bottom lip as she debated. "Come on out and play, Em. It's a beautiful night," Logan pleaded with her.

A smile twitched at the corners of her lips. After a few more moments, she nodded, eliciting a small shout of triumph from him. Laughing slightly, Emily shut the window and ran downstairs, not even bothering to put on shoes. Logan met her by the back door immediately taking her hand in his. As they walked off the porch into the yard, their joined hands swung back and forth, reminding Emily of their teenaged days. A wistful smile appeared on face for a brief moment.

Abruptly, Logan stopped, pulling Emily down onto the grass with him. She laughed as she tumbled into his arms, her face inches away from his. His lips cocked up in a smirk, arms tightening to prevent her from moving.

"Still can't get enough of me," he said, a laugh in his voice. Emily rolled her eyes.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," she responded. He chuckled and loosened his hold, allowing her to settle into his side, head leaning on his shoulder.

For a while they just laid there, content to be next to each other as they watched the stars twinkle above them.

Emily slowly breathed in, taking in the scent of the night air tinged with the smell of the man whose arms she was resting in. Seven years ago, this was all she ever wanted. A few years ago, she never thought she'd want this again. And now? Now she was happy. When she let herself be.

So many things had changed. The girl who used to lay in his arms had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. All she knew was that whatever she did, she would do it with Logan by her side.

That never happened. And in the time that had passed, she had found a dream on her own, without him. She'd had a beautiful girl and discovered what it meant to be a parent; to have another life completely dependent upon you. And then she had discovered her own dream. Emily loved her job. It was liberating realizing that she had found something she was good at. And while she was grateful to her boss for giving her an opportunity, she didn't plan to stay at that position forever.

Emily had plans. Plans that she didn't realize she actually wanted until just a while ago. When she had found out about her inheritance, she started thinking. What would she do with it? Obviously, a good portion of that would go into savings. She had Hannah to think about, after all. But what she really wanted to do was start up her own interior design company. She had learned a lot in the past few years. And was good at her job. She knew how to run the business side of it, along with the creative side. With the money Clint had left her, she might be able to pull it off without upsetting the life she had provided for Hannah.

There was just one little problem.

Logan.

Would he want to be part of that plan she had? She had no doubt that he would. But he would expect that plan to happen out in L.A, that she knew. He was already subtly hinting at them moving out there. Still, Emily refused to talk about it, changing the subject or ignoring his hints completely.

She had to give him credit though. The teenage Logan wouldn't have let it go so easily. He was pushy and stubborn, determined to get his way. Logan was still those things, but now he knew when to back down.

Deep down he was still the same boy that she had fallen in love with. But with each passing day, Emily saw more of the man that he had become. He was wonderful with their daughter, something that she didn't quite expect. Logan had no problem participating in countless tea parties, coloring in princess books, watching silly children's shows or even playing dress up with Hannah. It tugged at her heartstrings to watch the two of them together.

But it was more than that. He was different to her this time around too. He was much more smooth than before, much more aware of her. She'd walk into the house to find fresh flowers from him, waiting to be neatly arranged on the kitchen counter. He'd insisted on cooking at least three times out of the week, bringing Hannah in to help so that Emily could have a break. And he was more patient than she could ever remember him being. He'd tell her everyday that he loved her, but never pushed for her to return the phrase.

As Emily laid there next to him, she was sure of how she felt about him. She'd been sure for a few weeks now. Logan would always be it for her.

Idly, his fingers ran up and down her side softly. Her heart fluttered in her chest, happiness settling in. Emily smiled into his shoulder, pressing her lips in a gentle kiss to it.

"I love you," she whispered softly to him.

Logan's head turned to face hers, his eyes widening slightly.

"Yeah?" he asked. Emily smiled at the unsure look on his face. She nodded at him.

"Yeah."

A grin broke out onto his face. He touched his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. Their foreheads rested against each others as they just looked into the others eyes.

"I love you," he finally said, breaking the silence between them.

This time it was Emily who made the first move. She lifted her mouth to his, their lips colliding. Before Logan had a chance to think, she rolled on top of him, straddling his thighs. Her hands found their way into his hair, his resting on her hips, kneading the flesh as she took them deeper. When their lungs could take no more, they broke apart, panting. Their eyes were wide.

"I need you," Logan said, almost on a whisper. Emily could hear the question in his voice. His hand came up, brushing the blonde strands of hair back from her face before cupping her cheek.

"Then have me," Emily responded a split second before leaning back down and drowning in his kiss once more.


	17. Chapter 17

**Authors Note: It's super late and I've had a LONG couple of days. So I'm skipping individual shout outs for this time. And I know, it's super short, but I needed to end it there! Please don't hate me!**

**I love each and every single one of you who reads and reviews! Your reviews mean the WORLD to me. So a BIG THANK YOU to each of you! I wish I could give you each a basket full of cookies and then a big HUG! :D  
**

* * *

"Mommy?"

Emily lifted her head up to blearily look at her daughter standing next to her. She blinked a few times, focusing in on the small face.

"Are we sleeping in today?" Slowly, Emily nodded at her.

"Yes, sunshine. Daddy and I had a long night. You've got to be quiet; Daddy's still asleep," Emily whispered, motioning over to Logan laying next to her.

"Can I sleep in too?" Hannah asked, eyes suddenly bright as she made to climb into the bed. Emily's eyes widened slightly as she thought about both her and Logan's current state of undress.

"No. Um. Let's let Daddy sleep a while longer. How do chocolate chip pancakes sound?" Hannah's face lit up and she clapped her hands softly in glee. Emily smiled at her. "Go feed Simba and I'll meet you in the kitchen."

As Hannah ran out of the room, Emily breathed out a small sigh. She shifted out of bed, but was stopped by Logan's arm wrapping around her waist.

"Not so fast," came his raspy voice. "I thought we were sleeping in."

She turned to meet his eyes, a look of amusement painting his face.

"Oh shut up. What was I supposed to say?"

Logan chuckled and sat up, pulling her close to him, their bare chests pressed together. His head came down, capturing her mouth with his own in a dizzying kiss that left Emily flustered. "I love you," he murmured against her lips.

Emily's mouth curved against his, a contented smile gracing her face. "I love you. Now come on before she runs back in here."

* * *

The next few months flew by, much to Emily's surprise. She had expected to spend the six months in this hell hole, praying for the days to go by faster. But with Logan here, time seemed to go at an accelerated speed. Before she knew it, four months had gone by.

Neither of them had spoken about the future. Emily still planned on heading back to New York City. She couldn't just uproot her daughter. And she loved New York. Her mom, her job and Hannah's school were there. That's where their life was.

Logan still hadn't fully decided what he wanted to do. She knew that he was writing music. Emily would hear him, casually strumming the guitar, messing around with a few different things. But just like her life was back in New York City, his was in Los Angeles. She didn't want to give up hers; so why would he want to give up his life?

Texas was just a pit stop for both of them. A detour that they happened to take together. But eventually the detour ends, merging back with the main road. Emily just wasn't sure that they were traveling to the same destination.

With the end of summer came the realization that Hannah would have to go back up to New York to start school. It wasn't fair to make her start a new school only to transfer back to her old one after a month. She was scheduled to leave in a few weeks. Emily had yet to tell Logan of this.

"Emily Maureen. You've got to tell him," came her mother's stern voice over the phone. Emily sighed, cradling the phone on her shoulder as she chopped up some vegetables. "I think he's going to be a little concerned when he wakes up and Hannah's just gone."

"I know, Mama. I was just hoping to put this conversation off for a little while longer."

"Honey, you can't run from your problems."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Yes, but you know how Logan gets. He's going to be pissed that I didn't tell him. Then he'll tell me to screw the will; he'll pay for Hannah's trust fund. And right after that he'll demand we move with him out to L.A."

"Logan may be stubborn, but so are you. Talk with him, Em," Grace said gently. "If you want this relationship to work, then you've got to put in the effort."

Emily was quiet for a moment. "I don't know that I want it to work." Before Grace could respond, Emily heard the door shutting, signaling that Logan was back. "I've got to go, Mama. I love you."

She hung up the phone and slipping it into her pocket as Logan strolled into the kitchen. He grabbed her around the waist, lifting her up and spinning her in a circle before pressing a quick kiss to her lips. A laugh bubbled out of her. There was a large grin on his face, a contagious one that had Emily grinning right back.

"What's got you in a such a good mood?" she asked him, turning back to the cutting board and emptying the vegetables into a pan on the stove.

"I just got off the phone with my manager. I think I've decided to record an album."

Emily's heart faltered for a moment, but she smiled at him. "That's great, Logan. So you've figured out what it is you want to do."

His hand came up to cup her cheek. "Yeah. I think I've had a long enough break. Nothing's official yet. I'm going to meet with the label when I go back for Naomi's first birthday." Logan paused for a moment. "Speaking of that. Will we be able to take Hannah out of school for her to come out there with us?"

Emily swore in her head. She slowly set the cooking chopsticks down on the spoon rest and turned the stove off. She faced Logan, her eyes determined.

"We can't go to L.A. with you, Logan."

"Oh come on, Em. It's just for a few days. You said you liked the guys and Kate. And I'm sure that Hannah would love seeing all of them again."

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's not that…"

"Besides. I want you to see where I live. See what it's like out there. Maybe you'd like it…" Emily cut him off.

"Logan," she said in a warning voice. His eyes flashed at her.

"No. I'm not going to back away from this subject. I've been doing that for the past few months. As much as I love you and Hannah, I can't stay here. My career is out in L.A. I want this to work between us. Why won't you even consider coming out there?" he asked, impatience in his voice.

"Because we have a life in New York! I'm not going to just uproot Hannah from that!" Emily yelled at him, her arms waving emphatically.

"I'm not asking you to right now. All I want is for you to come out there for a week and see what you think," he countered.

"I can't."

"Can't or won't, Emily? It amounts to the same thing."

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the explosion that was sure to come. "No, it doesn't. We can't go out to L.A. with you. Hannah can't because she won't be here."

Logan stared at her, confusion marking his face.

"What? Why won't she be here?"

"Because. She's going back to New York in a few weeks to start school." When he looked blankly at her, Emily just continued. "I'm not enrolling her here just to transfer her back in a little over a month."

"And why would you be doing that?" he asked when he regained his sense of speech. His voice held a hint of unwillingness to it, as if he didn't really want to hear her answer.

"Because we'll be moving back to New York City in two months."


	18. Chapter 18

**Authors Note: Yay update! I tried to get this out as fast as I could. And this took a totally different turn that I thought it would. It's extra long, but I couldn't help myself. :)  
**

**Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews! I love reading all of your comments. They, in all honesty, completely make my day! So THANK YOU!**

**Paumichyy**** - Yes! The truth is coming out! I have a feeling that Logan's not gonna react too well...  
****Emy . Elle**** - Of course I stop there! But my cliffhangers are NOTHING compared to Panda's! Lol. And Emily's got a right to be nervous about this relationship. They live in two different places. Someone's going to _have_ to sacrifice if they want this to work.  
****Tokala**** - Hmmm...I think your senses are right! ;)  
****SuperSillyStories**** - I loved Hannah with naked parents. Can't you just imagine that happening? LMAO. And ahhhh, Emily doesn't want to be the one to sacrifice the life she's made. We'll see how well Logan takes that idea.  
****Guest**** - Well I'm glad you don't hate me! :) Hannah's known from the beginning that she's going back to New York for school. It'll still be hard for her to leave her parents though. And it will definitely be hard on them!  
****Carlos'sCupcake**** - Of course! Drama ALWAYS happens after the fluffy stuff. You know I couldn't resist the drama or the cliffhanger! :) And you're right. The crap is definitely about to hit the fan!  
****SeraphinaCruz**** - Oh there's definitely going to be a fight! The two of them just like to argue. Lol. Calm before the storm? That's a good way to put that. :)  
**

* * *

"Because we'll be moving back to New York City in two months."

There was a moment of silence before Logan spoke. "You what?" He tried to keep calm. Emily took another deep breath.

"We'll be moving back to New York. We're not staying here, Logan."

Logan brought a hand up to his face, rubbing his forehead in an agitated manner. Emily took a step towards him, trying to read his expression.

"Logan…"

"What the hell, Em?" he suddenly shouted, eyes snapping up to meet hers. His dark ones were flashing with impatience and anger, causing Emily to move back from him. "Were you planning on telling me this? Or were you going to just up and leave, a little bit of payback?"

At that, her green eyes flashed at him.

"No, you idiot. That wasn't my plan. I've been on the receiving end of that, remember? Even if I hated you, I wouldn't have been able to do that." Logan nodded at her in acknowledgement.

"Was it something I said? Did something happen? Why are you all of a sudden deciding to move back there?" he asked, trying to understand. Pulling out a chair from the table, she sat down, head in her hands before suddenly looking up at him, her expression weary.

"I had never intended to stay past six months." At his confused expression, Emily continued on. "I didn't come down here for work," she admitted.

"So why did you?"

Emily blew out a breath. "My father's estate. I came down to settle it, intent on going back the moment it was down with. I never planned on seeing you, and especially didn't plan on staying here. But my father's will changed all that."

Once again, Logan gave her a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"He left me the house and a large sum of money, along with a trust fund for Hannah to be given to her on her 18th birthday. But all of that came with a price; I had to stay here, live in this house for six months. If I declined or violated the terms of the will in any way, then I'd forfeit my inheritance." She paused for a moment, allowing Logan to process what she said. "I don't give a rip about this house, or the money he left for me. But the trust fund for Hannah? I couldn't turn it down. Not when it could help her out, pay for her college or whatever it was she wanted to do. And as much as I don't want his money, it'll come in handy. It gives us breathing room. And gives me the possibility of opening my own design studio."

Logan stared at her, trying to process what he had just heard. He started pacing, unable to stand still. Suddenly, he whirled to face her.

"So you're telling me that you're only down here because Clint is forcing you from beyond the grave?" he asked for clarification. Emily nodded. "Were you ever going to tell me? Don't lie to me, Em," he threatened when he saw the look on her face.

"I was hoping not to." Logan swore violently. Incensed at his reaction, Emily spoke up. "I didn't think it was going to be an issue. I didn't want to spread around the details of my father's will, or the fact that he's still a controlling asshole who's basically blackmailing me even in death."

"But I'm not everyone, Em," Logan stated. "You didn't think that I was important enough to know about this?"

Despite the anger, Emily could hear the hurt underneath it in his voice. She let out a weary sigh. "Logan, I know you. You'd just be pissed of. Tell me to screw my father and his will. But that money can do a lot for both me and Hannah," she explained.

"You're right. Screw the will! I'll make up for Hannah's trust fund. I'm her father. Hell, I'll triple the fund."

Emily just sighed in exasperation. Her instincts were right. She knew that Logan would attempt to do that.

"I knew you'd say that. But I don't want your money. You shouldn't have to do that."

"And you shouldn't be forced to live somewhere you hate just to satisfy Clint's sick mind," Logan countered. "I'm Hannah's father; I have a right to provide for her."

She gave him a nod of acknowledgement. "You're right," she said quietly. "You do have that right. But I also have the right to decide to stay here or not. And I've chosen to stay until the terms of the will are met," Emily responded.

Logan began to pace again, running a hand through his hair. His mind was whirling, thoughts flying in every direction as he tried to process; tried to think of a way to convince her that his way was right.

"That's why you won't go to L.A. with me, isn't it?" he asked quickly. She nodded.

"I gave my word, Logan. And I'm keeping it, regardless of what you do."

"So what? Hannah goes back to New York with Grace to start school. You stay here for another month. Then what?" he asked.

'Then I head back to New York," Emily said, almost hesitantly, just waiting for him to explode.

"What about us, Em? You just gonna let us go?" he demanded.

Emily faltered at his fierce gaze. "We live on opposite coasts, Logan…," she trailed off.

"Damn it, Emily. I'm not giving up on us. I can't just let you go again. Not this time."

"Well what the hell do you want, Logan?" Emily finally exploded. Her voice was raised, not caring if anyone else could hear them. "For me to just drop my life for you? Uproot our daughter from the only life she's ever known? Leave my mom and the job I love to follow you? I was going to follow blindly out to L.A. once. But not this time. I've already found my dream, found my life up in New York. I can't do it."

"We can make this work…" This time he was interrupted by her.

"How?" Emily gave him a humorless laugh. "You've got a life in L.A. Hollywood's got you under contract. You can't just walk away from that."

"Do you love me?" he asked suddenly.

"Logan…"

"Do you love me?" he asked again, determination in his voice. His eyes were hard, gaze unwavering from hers.

"Yes. I do," she replied honestly.

"Then we'll make this work." When she started to protest, he held up a hand, cutting her off. "I love you too much to let you go this time. I don't know how, but we'll make it work."

Unwilling to argue anymore, Emily just nodded and moved into his opened arms. She settled into his embrace, uneasiness filtering through. No matter what Logan said, Emily didn't think that they could work it out. So she'd take the time left with him and wouldn't place hope on the future.

* * *

Hannah left a couple weeks later. As excited as she was to go back home and see her grandma, she was going to miss Texas. And especially miss her mom and dad. Luckily, Simba was going back with her, giving her some comfort. She had pitched a fit when she realized that he couldn't sit next to her on the plane. Logan had to sit her down and explain to her that Simba had a special place just for him to ride. After that, she had calmed down.

Saying goodbye was difficult, especially on Emily. After a few sniffles, Hannah had been consoled by promises of her mom coming up in just a few weeks, along with visits from Logan. Emily, on the other hand, felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest as she watched her baby board the plane without her. Having to spend an entire month without her daughter was going to be difficult. The longest she had ever spent away from her was the time she was alone here for the beginning of the six months. Logan held onto Emily while she cried watching the plane take off, feeling himself get a little choked up.

Life without Hannah there was odd for the two of them. For the first time in years, they were experiencing life as a couple without a child. The first few days saw Emily wandering around, unsure of what to do without Hannah. Logan tried to distract her, taking her on long drives, fixing up things around the house. He even tried his hand at gardening with her, just to get her to laugh.

Neither of them talked about what would happen at the end of the month. Logan was dead set on making this work. Emily, however, knew better. It was easy to say things, to make promises. But when it came down to it, she knew that life would get in the way. Right now they were living in kind of a fantasy world. There were no obligations for either of them. But once they moved back to their separate homes, things would get difficult. Not only were they so far apart, but they'd have their jobs to deal with.

Logan was going to embark on his first solo album. He was due to leave for L.A. about the same time Emily was going to leave. There he'd go into negotiations, contract signings and figuring out the logistics. Emily was proud of him, thrilled that he had finally decided on a career path. As sure as she loved him, she knew that he would do well.

As for her, she knew she wanted to open her own design studio. It would take work, and a lot of time, but she could do it, especially with her inheritance. She had begun developing a business plan and had started some of the preparations. She couldn't start looking for spaces until she made it back to New York, but at least she could plan. Logan even helped. He wanted to be just as supportive of her as she was of him. Every so often he'd sit at the table with her, looking over the business models she'd created, correcting and helping her with the logistics.

Despite how difficult she knew this was going to be, Emily only loved him even more for trying to help. Logan had definitely grown up. While the Logan she had known before had loved her, he wouldn't have spent all this time going over figures and numbers with her. Especially if he had known that they were just going to separate in a month. Teenaged Logan had been supportive of their shared dream. Emily hadn't known what she had wanted to do back then, and Logan had never tried to help her decide. Until now.

It was little things like this that made Emily almost believe that they _could_ make it work. And oh how she wanted to. She loved Logan with every fiber of her being. As much as she cursed the day she ran into him again, she was also immensely grateful for it. But she still couldn't justify giving up her life or her dream now just for him.

New York was exciting. She hadn't known that she wanted to be there until she stumbled upon it. As much as she enjoyed the slow life of Texas, she missed the city. She missed her life there. Emily had worked hard to get where she was. From being a pregnant teen interning in the mail room up to the assistant to the CEO of the studio, she had worked and learned along the way. And had fallen in love with it. Now that she had the means and the capital, she was going to do it herself.

At the same time, she couldn't ask Logan to give up his life either. He had a talent and passion for this. Not to mention a responsibility to all his fans. Logan hadn't asked her again to move out to L.A. with him, so how could she be selfish and ask him to move out to New York for her?

Logan found her sitting outside in the grass, knees tucked under her, obviously lost in thought. He stood there for a moment, just watching her. The sun was playing in her hair, enhancing the golden strands with an almost glow. A crease was beginning to appear between her brows. He could practically see the wheels turning behind the deep green irises. Smirking to himself, he stepped forward and spoke.

"Must be some deep thoughts," he said. His voice startled Emily, making her jump a little. Slowly, she relaxed, her lips curving up at him.

"It's possible," she replied. Her hand found its way into his own as he sat down next to her.

"Want a break from all that thinking?"

Emily raised an eyebrow at him in question. "What'd you have in mind?"

Thirty minutes later they found themselves at an old lake. Emily stepped out of the car, breathing in the scent of the water deeply.

"I haven't been here in years," she said. Logan grinned at her, dimples popping out. He took her hand in his and began walking them towards the water.

"I come here every time I come home. It always brings back memories."

Emily was silent as they stepped up to the waters edge. They each slipped their shoes off, stepping into the cool water. Stars were beginning to pop out above them. The chirping of crickets filled the air, reminding her.

"It looks almost the same," she said. She laughed slightly. "Almost sounds the same too." Turning, she faced him. "Do you remember that night?" she asked.

Logan gave her a small grin. "Of course I do. How could I forget the first time we made love?" His hand came up, pushing her hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek. "You were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen," he murmured to her.

"I was so in love with you," she responded quietly. "You were everything I ever remember wanting. I remember seeing stars, and not just the ones in the sky. I saw them in your eyes. I saw the future. I thought it was forever."

She pulled away from him, caught up, her emotions getting the better of her. Logan stepped closer to her, unwilling to let her push away. He caught her chin in his hand, lifting her face to his. His lips touched her gently before moving so they were a breath away.

"You were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen," he repeated. "But standing her now, I know I was wrong. You were beautiful then, Em, but you're breathtaking now. When I look at you, I feel like I can't breathe. Like all the air has been sucked out of me. You and Hannah, you're all I need."

Logan's thumb stroked her cheek softly. Emily stood there, feeling the tears creep up, heart in her throat. He could sense this, so he continued on.

"I shouldn't have just let you go like I did. I should've searched until I found you. Maybe things wouldn't be so difficult now," he mused.

"Logan," she whispered. He shook his head, shushing her.

"I know it's not gonna be easy. But we can do this. I love you, Emily Daniels. And I'm not letting you slip away from me this time."


	19. Chapter 19

**Authors Note: So first things first, Emy . Elle wrote this AMAZING companion piece for this. It's called "All Too Well Chapter 16 point 5." ...If you can't tell by the title, it's what happens between the end of chapter 16 and the beginning of chapter 17, aka the smut! I hate writing smut. Did it once for my last one and nope. Not happening again. So the lovely Emy . Elle asked if she could do something with that, and after agreeing, she popped out this FABULOUS companion piece! SO GO READ IT AND REVIEW IT! **

**And thank you for sticking with me and reviewing! I appreciate EVERY single one of you readers and ALL of your reviews and comments! Thank you for taking the time to review! I love ALL of y'all! :)**

**Logan's Honey Pie**** -** **Yes! He knows the truth! WOOT. Everything's out in the open finally! And hmmm...I wonder why you'd have that feeling? :P But I think you're right; Em's definitely still hesitant about all of this.  
****Guest -**** Whoa. Apparently everyone thought it was a proposal? Lol! Sorry to disappoint there! But I'm SO glad you liked the chapter...I didn't mean to almost make you cry though! And awww you are just too sweet! :)  
****Emy . Elle -**** Gaaaah! Staaahp! I'm definitely not that great. So PFFT on you! Lol. And nope. No proposal right now. Being engaged would do them no good. They're still going separate ways at the end of the month!  
****Carlos'sCupcake -**** Lol. Things are good for now. And eh. They're not so much on the same page as they are just feeling the same. I have a feeling that things will def take a turn for the worse at the end of the month!  
****Tokala -**** THANK YOU. I hate when people drop their lives for someone else. I'm so glad someone else appreciates what Emily's doing (...or not doing. lol)!  
****Dudeamanda -**** Yay! I'm glad you found this...and that you like it! WOOT. If you like this, you should check out my last big one. It goes along in this same universe thing. :)  
****SuperSillyStories -**** Bahahahaha I loled at that. And DUDE. Like everyone thought he was gonna propose! But noooope! As sweet and lovely as it is now...we gonna have some rough times ahead. :D**

* * *

During the next month, Emily began packing up things around the house. She had finally gone through all of Clint's possessions, throwing out the majority of them. She knew that neither her nor Grace would want them. None of them had sentimental value to either; they were just reminders of a past she wanted nothing to do with anymore. But even though she no longer considered the house a hell hole, no one was going to be living there. So the things she had kept still needed to be packed up.

Logan helped her, not saying a word about the fact that their time together was almost up. As they boxed up the rooms, he had asked if she planned to sell the house, knowing how much she hated it growing up.

Truthfully, Emily had thought about it. Of course, that was after Logan had ruled out torching it, citing that as arson. Her first instinct after that was to sell it, get rid of it. But as she thought more about it, she realized that the house was no longer just the hell hole full of bad memories. It had been transformed. New memories of Logan and Hannah had joined the old ones of her as a teenager. The house had become a home.

As much she had detested the house as a girl, she couldn't bring herself to sell it. Now that she had brought Hannah here, she knew she couldn't just forget about this place or that time in her life. The house could be used as a getaway. Maybe one day she could use it to open up another branch of her soon to be design studio.

The days wore on. And it seemed to the two of them that they were going by much too fast. Logan was dead set on them working out. In his mind, there were no other options. Emily, however, was much more practical about it. As much as she loved Logan, she just couldn't see how this was going to work.

Logan was leaving the next morning to go back to L.A., beginning his contract negotiations. In addition, he would be there for Naomi's first birthday. He had brought up the idea of Emily coming out for that once more. But she still had one week left of her six months. She was _not_ going to violate the terms of the will with only days to go. Logan would return when it was over to see her off to New York. He'd visit with Hannah for a bit before heading back to his life in L.A.

Emily had one more girls day with Cassie before Logan left. Cassie had prepared a gargantuan lunch full of complete junk food for the two of them to gorge out on. They were currently sprawled out on the floor, leisurely eating potato chips in an oddly fancy bowl for the occasion.

"Heard from Manda lately?" Emily asked. Cassie broke out into a fit of giggles, a large smirk planted on her face.

"Oh yeah. Wait till you hear this. You know how they were unable to get an annulment because she pissed off that judge?"

Emily nodded, laughing slightly. "Trust Amanda to piss off a judge so badly that he forces them to remain married and live in the same vicinity of each other."

The friends laughed, imagining the scenario in their heads.

"Well, things are going…interestingly for the happy couple," Cassie said, continuing to smirk.

"Oh man. Tell me, tell me now," Emily begged, propping herself up on her elbows to plead with the petite woman across from her.

"So Carlos did something to set Amanda off…"

"Oh that poor boy," she immediately responded, cutting off Cassie. Cassie nodded vehemently at her.

"You're telling me. I grew up with her. That girl has the craziest mean streak in the world. Anyways. She decided to mess with his head a bit."

Emily's eyes widened. "Oh no. What did she do to him?"

"She made him crepes."

Her forehead creased in confusion.

"Um…crepes?"

"Yeah. Crepes. As he was eating them, she mentioned that she got the recipe from this new cookbook. And then proceeded to place the cookbook in front of him."

"I'm afraid to ask – what cookbook was it?" Emily asked hesitantly.

"Natural Harvest: A collection of semen based recipes."

Emily stared for a few moments before letting out a large laugh, Cassie joining her. "Oh she traumatized him for life, didn't she?" she asked when she finally calmed down.

"She said that his face turned green and he ran for the bathroom. After a few hours she finally let him off the hook and told him that she was only messing with his head."

The two friends started laughing once more, imagining Carlos' reaction. When they finally stopped, Cassie's look suddenly turned serious.

"So. Logan's leaving tomorrow."

Emily's eyes shifted around before grabbing a handful of M&Ms from another bowl and popping them in her mouth.

"And I'm leaving a week later when he comes back."

"How're you feeling about that?" Cassie asked gently. Emily sighed.

"I don't know. I love Logan. I never thought I'd say that again. Yet I do, so much that it almost hurts. It's different than before. There's a deeper connection between us this time. Maybe it's Hannah, maybe it's the fact that we're grown up and know what we want out of life. Regardless, I love him. But I don't see how this is going to work, Cass."

"Are you going to try?"

She was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. "I want to. But we live on opposite coasts. We have different lives…," she trailed off.

"You're afraid of him leaving you again, aren't you?"

Emily looked up sharply at her friend. Instead of flinching away from the piercing gaze, Cassie just stared patiently back, waiting. Slowly, Emily shook her head.

"I'm not going to be left in the dark again. I'm not going to be the one left behind this time, Cass."

* * *

Logan held Emily in his arms, leaning back on the couch in the sun filled room, the two of them wrapped up in each other. He was getting ready to head out, driving his car back the same way he came.

"I love you," she whispered into his neck, breathing in his scent. She could feel his hands playing in her hair, absently twirling the locks around his fingers.

"Do you?" he asked her. Emily leaned back to look at him. His face was serious, hers slightly puzzled.

"You know I do," she responded.

Logan's dark eyes pierced her own for a few moments before relaxing. He nodded at her and pulled her back into his arms. He was silent for a few more moments.

"You know, I didn't understand what James meant before," he started.

"Hm?" she hummed up at him in question.

"There was a time, a few months after he met Kate, when he told all of us that she was it. He was going to marry her. I didn't understand how he could make a decision like that so quickly. Or how he knew that she was it."

Emily felt her heart start to quicken at his words. She pulled back once more to look at him. Logan took her hands in his own, staring down at them.

"But now I understand. I think I've known since the moment I met you all those years ago that you were it. Emily, I love you. I know that we've got problems. And that we live on different sides of the country. But I honestly think we can do this; we can make this work. I'm willing to give us that chance. Are you?" he asked her, an eyebrow raising in question.

Emily swallowed the lump that was in her throat as she glanced down at their joined hands. Taking a deep breath, she spoke.

"I love you, Logan. I don't think I ever stopped. You're a part of my life, of Hannah's, and you always will be."

His head cocked to the side, studying her. "But you don't think this is going to work." She shook her head at him.

"I wish I could," she said quietly.

Logan fished a hand into his pocket, pulling out a small box.

"Maybe if my words won't make you believe I'm serious about us, then this will," he said before popping the lid on the box, revealing a diamond.

Emily's heart thudded in her chest, shock painting her face. "Logan. That's not…," she trailed off. He nodded at her, his signature grin popping up.

"It sure as hell is. I love you, Em, and I want you to marry me."

She stared at him, mouth opening and closing, unable to speak. Logan just continued to grin, despite this. He seemed to sense her dilemma, so he stood up, taking the problem into his own hands.

"This is a lot for you to take in. And a lot of pressure on you right at this moment. I understand. You don't have to answer right now. Think about it this week while I'm gone."

Setting the ring on the coffee table in front of her, Logan pulled her up into his arms and crushed his mouth onto hers.

"I love you, Em," he murmured against her mouth. "I'll see you in a week."

With that, he grabbed his bags and walked out of the door.

* * *

One week later, Logan stepped into the baggage claim of the Dallas Fort Worth airport. He glanced around, looking for that familiar mane of blonde hair. But his search came up empty. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach, but he didn't start to panic just yet. His flight _had_ arrived early. He had texted Emily and told her that they were running ahead of schedule, so it was possible that she decided not to come. Pushing it from his mind, Logan got his bags and picked up the keys to his rental car before heading down the road to her house.

Almost an hour later he let himself into the large house.

"Emily?" he called out. Silence met him as he stepped through the entry way. Something wasn't right here, he thought as he walked in. The curtains were all closed. Emily always kept them open, wanting the sunlight to filter through the panes.

He walked through the living room, straight into the kitchen. Flipping on the light, his heart sunk.

There on the table was the ring. Logan swore, running his hands through his hair in frustration. He picked up the ring in the box and threw it violently across the room. Looking down once more, he glanced at the note that was next to it. Two words, in the familiar feminine handwriting were etched on the paper.

_"I'm sorry."_


	20. Chapter 20

**Authors Note: So I take it y'all weren't thrilled with the ending of last chapter? :P**

**I worked super hard to get this out today so you didn't have to wait! Buuuuut. I should let you know that the end is REALLY soon. Like, probably next chapter. BUT don't worry! I'm not done writing yet! I've still got two more stories in the works. Next up...is Carlos! Explanation behind the Vegas wedding, anyone? :D**

**Once again, thank y'all for ALL of your reviews! The fact that you take the time to review and comment means the world to me! *hugs***

**SuperSillyStories**** - Bahahaha oh just wait! More will be revealed when that story is started! And whoa there, violent much? Eh...I shouldn't be surprised. LMAO. :P  
****Jenno2 -**** He's definitely pissed off, that's for sure! I'm pretty sure Emily will hear from him about that.  
****Logan's Honey Pie**** - Well at least you understand her despite not liking her! Lol. I don't think she wants to cut Logan from their life; she's just too scared to face him right now with the marriage issue between them. But you'll see the resolution on that soon!  
****Guest -**** You were definitely right, she was going to say no. Not sure how Logan thought proposing would be a good idea when she was against them continuing their relationship on opposite coasts! Lol. And you better believe that Logan's going to go after her! He's one stubborn man. :)  
****Emy . Elle -**** That's an ACTUAL cookbook that Panda found on Amazon. We were loling about it weeks ago and I KNEW I was going to include it somehow. :P I don't know how Logan didn't see Emily's reaction coming! He knew she was hesitant in the first place!  
****Tokala -**** Bahaha! Hopefully this chapter won't make you rage as much! And if you liked the Amanda/Carlos bit, just wait till I write the full story. :P  
****LazyLazyWriter -**** Thank you! I'm glad you like it! :)  
****Carlos'sCupcake -**** Ohhh yeah! Logan is definitely persistent. And a stubborn ass. He's definitely not going to let this be the end of it! Emily's def in for it when he finds her.  
****Dudeamanda -**** I think everyone knew that Emily was going to bolt at some point. Except for Logan. LOL. **

* * *

It was cowardly. Emily knew that. She knew she should have told Logan face to face that she couldn't marry him. That she was leaving. But she couldn't make herself do it.

It was ironic. Logan had been the one to leave before, leaving a note for her because he couldn't handle telling her face to face. It was only when she got on the airplane did Emily realize she had unintentionally done the same to him. Knowing what it was like to be on the receiving end of that almost had her bolting off the plane. But she couldn't.

Logan would be angry, she knew that. He would probably break a few things, swearing up and down. Even so, Emily couldn't make herself stay.

How was she supposed to marry him? Not that she didn't want to; she desperately wanted to. It surprised her how much she wanted that. With Hannah in her life, she never expected to find love, much less a lasting one again. She was fine, content in her life before going back home. But Logan changed things, just like he did when they were teenagers. Her heart belonged to him and it always would.

But marriage? It wasn't possible for them at this point. Emily didn't understand how Logan couldn't see this. Long distance relationships were difficult enough as they were. Throw in the fact that Logan had a career in Hollywood along with her having a successful career in New York City while single handedly raising their daughter. It was bound for disaster. So why in the world would he think that marriage was the solution?

Emily was honestly baffled. Neither of them were going to give up their lives just to be near the other. And honestly, she preferred that. She would have been miserable moving out to L.A. New York was her home now. She loved the city. And had ties here. If Logan had decided to move out there with her, he surely would've resented her in time. He would have to give up his lifestyle.

No. It was best all around for them to stay far away from the marriage topic.

"You're thinking of him again, aren't you?"

Emily was brought out of her trance by the sound of her mother's voice. She looked up to see Grace gazing at her with a knowing look. Wordlessly, she grasped her daughter's wrist and pulled her down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table, sitting across from her. She folded her hands in front of her and stared patiently at her.

"Spill it, Em," she said finally. Trying to brush it off, Emily shrugged.

"It's nothing, Mama," she responded. Grace arched an eyebrow at her.

"If it's nothing, then why did you run?"

Emily could have swore. She huffed out a breath. "Mama, we've been through this…," she started. Grace cut her off.

"Yes. You've told me your thoughts on this. And I agree with you, to a point." She paused for a moment, taking a moment to really look at her daughter. The green eyes staring back at her were dark, emotions swirling in them. Grace could almost see her daughter fighting to hold them in. Letting out a sigh, she grabbed her hand and rubbed it soothingly. "Honey, you love him."

A tear spilled out unwittingly from her eye. Quickly, Emily brushed it aside trying to erase the evidence.

"I do."

"And he loves you. And Hannah too."

Emily nodded at her. "Yes. He does. But we have two different lives now, Mama. Our dreams are no longer the same as before. How can we continue on together when we're traveling down different roads?"

"Talk to him, Emily." At her mother's response, Emily let out a sarcastic laugh.

"I have. Repeatedly. But Logan's stubborn…"

"Just like someone else I know," Grace cut in, a small smile playing at her lips. Emily rolled her eyes and continued on.

"He won't listen. He thinks it's going to be easy. But he has no idea what it's like. I work full time on top of raising Hannah. I want to start my design studio. His schedule's busy too. He's getting ready to record a solo album. It would be hard enough finding time for each other living in the same city. So how are we supposed to make it work on opposite ends of the country?"

Grace was silent, pondering over her words. When she finally spoke, it was softly. "I loved your father." She smiled patiently when Emily scoffed at the mention of Clint. "Despite who he turned out to be, I did love him. When things got bad, I hung on. I suppose I kept hoping that things would change. But I worked hard at our marriage, even if he didn't. I wanted it to work. If Clint had cared enough, we could've made it work. But he just didn't."

She paused again. Emily stared at her, unsure. Grace hadn't spoken openly about her actual marriage to Clint in years. Her mother's lighter green eyes looked at her softly.

"You have someone who _wants_ to make it work with you, Emily. Don't take that for granted. I'm not saying that it's going to be easy. And it's possible that you'll crash and burn. But if you don't take that chance, you might miss out on the greatest love affair of your life."

Hours later after Grace had left and Hannah had been put to bed, Emily was left sitting alone on her living room couch, pondering over her mother's words. Her head and heart felt just as confused as when she first saw Logan again. How was she supposed to process this?

The sound of Hannah moving restlessly in her sleep had Emily smiling to herself. She got up to check on her, smiling once more at the sight of her daughter completely sprawled out in the bed, Simba curled up at her feet. She backed up quietly so as not to disturb either the child or pup.

Greatest love affair of her life? Grace was wrong. Hannah was her greatest love affair. Her daughter was her entire world. As she poured herself a glass of tea, Emily lost herself in thought, thinking back to the day she was born.

_"Oh my God! Give me all the drugs you have. Knock me out. Do SOMETHING!" Emily yelled at the attending nurse._

_She had gone into labor at work, water breaking on the mail room floor. One of her coworkers had rushed her to the hospital in a panic before heading back to work. She had called Grace to let her know that she was in labor, but Grace had already boarded her flight. At the rate she was progressing though, Grace wouldn't make it._

_ "I'm sorry Ms. Daniels, but you're too close. You're about to be taken into delivery."_

_"Well if I'm so close, then why don't you get the baby out NOW?"_

_"It'll be just a few more minutes. They're prepping the delivery room now." Emily leaned back and moaned. She wasn't normally this bitchy, and the staff knew that. But being in labor by yourself was hard. She wanted Logan with her, but she knew that was impossible at this point. She was brought out her longing by another sharp contraction._

_"I don't care. Just do something. Smoke it out, go in after it yourself. I just want it out already!"_

_The nurse just chuckled and left to get the doctor. Emily realized the stupidity of her words after and smacked her forehead._

_"Smoke it out? Great. Now they're going to think I'm an unfit mother because I want to smoke my own child out of my womb. Nice one, Em," she thought. She sighed and looked around the room. She was completely alone, save for the child who was about to make it's grand entrance. It was unsettling._

_Emily had always imagined that the birth of her first child would be a loud and noisy affair, complete with husband and family in tow. She felt a tear fall down her cheek, but quickly brushed it aside to focus on the task at hand. The doctor came into the room and asked her if she was ready. Emily just nodded her head and began to prepare herself as they wheeled her into the delivery room._

_"Do you have a preference of music?" the doctor asked._

_"No. Whatever's fine. Can we just do this already?" Emily was tired, in pain, and was alone giving birth. Emotionally and physically drained wasn't even enough to cover it. The doctor turned on her iPod and put it on random._

_"Alright, Emily. Let's get this baby out. When I say go, I want you to push as hard as you can for ten seconds. Ready? Go!"_

_Emily began pushing so hard it felt as though her insides were going to come flying out of her uterus to hit the doctor square in the face. After the ten seconds were up, she fell back, panting profusely. She went through several more rounds of this, each time barely making it to the ten-second mark._

_She tried to focus on anything but the intense pain going on inside of her during her breaks between pushing. It was then that she realized what song was playing. Sometime during her last grueling push, the song that her and Logan had called their own had begun playing. Emily tried to hold back the tears as she listened to the beginnings of the song that had become so dear to heart play through the speakers. This was not what she needed right now._

_"Okay Emily. I just need you to do one last push. Push as hard as you can. Ready? Now!"_

_Emily sat back up and pushed with all of her might. The doctor said something about seeing a head, but all Emily could focus on was getting her child, Logan's child, out. She focused in on the lyrics and on pushing. She screamed as she gave one final push, exhausting her of all of her strength. She fell back against the bed, overcome. It was then that she heard a cry. The doctor was holding up a small, red, wriggly baby who was making good use of their vocal cords._

_"Congratulations, Emily. You have a baby girl." Emily stared in shock at the small baby being held in front of her. The doctor quickly cleaned her up and wrapped her in a pink blanket. She handed Emily the small bundle._

_Emily stared in wonder at her daughter. Her daughter. She had a daughter. She heard the song end and she smiled. The little girl was looking up at her with familiar brown eyes. She had a beautiful baby girl._

_"Do you have a name yet?" the doctor asked. Emily broke her gaze with her daughter to look up at her._

_"Hannah Grace," she responded, smiling. She waited until there was no one in hearing distance before whispering to her daughter. "I love you, Hannah Grace Daniels. So incredibly much." She placed a kiss on her now sleeping daughter's forehead before beginning to slightly rock her._

She pressed a hand to her stomach, remembering how it felt to carry Hannah. She was so scared. Unsure of what the future would hold. But inside she'd had a piece of her and Logan. Glancing back towards the bedroom, she was immensely grateful to him for giving her Hannah.

Another tear slipped down her cheek. Logan had missed so much of Hannah's life. She knew that he would want to be a part of the rest of her life, regardless of what happened between them. And honestly, she wanted that too. She couldn't keep Logan away from Hannah even if she had wanted to.

Her hand moved from her stomach to cover her heart. He owned her heart. And he always would. But she was still just so unsure of any of this working out.

A gentle knock on the door startled her. Frowning, she set her glass down and walked to the front door. She opened it, her eyes widening.

Without saying a word, Logan stepped inside and crushed his mouth to hers.


	21. Chapter 21

**Authors Notes: Well. This is it. The last one. Huh. I'm kind of sad about that. I think I get attached to characters too easily. Lol. BUT, you'll see them again. Be on the lookout for my next one sometime in the next week. I'll give y'all a sneak peek: it's going to be called "Waking Up In Vegas." So be watching for that! :)**

**And a BIG HUGE GINORMOUS THANK YOU to every single one of you who read this story. All of you silent and not so silent readers. I GREATLY appreciate each and every one of you! Without you, I would not be posting this. Hell, I probably wouldn't have even written this one at all! So THANK YOU INSANELY. I love y'all so much!**

**SuperSillyStories**** -Yay! I'm glad that I am redeemed! WOOT. And OF COURSE Logan showed up! Stubborn ass boy isn't dumb...for the most part. Lmao. And I'm telling you, I BUSTED out laughing at him 'contacting her with his mouth.' That was priceless.  
****LazyLazyWriter -**** I KNOW. YAYYYYY Logan showed up! :)  
****Jenno2 -**** Thank you! And YES! Logan was a smart boy this time and went after the girl! He's learned from his mistakes. :)  
Paumichyy - Yes! He finally made it to New York! At least he was smart this time and went after her.  
Guest - Of course he did! Logan's a stubborn man. :) I hope you like the end of this!  
Logan's Honey Pie - Emily's just as stubborn as Logan is, just in a different way! Lol. Of course, he had to show up! And all he did was track her down. Wouldn't be too hard since he knows the general location of where she is. It also helps that he's famous and has access to resources that could help him find her. :P Good thing he wasn't dumb this time and actually went after her!  
Guest - Yeah...I just couldn't see continuing this story any more. Emily and Logan don't have much left to tell after this. But they'll def be in my next two stories, since I'm continuing on with this same universe type thing! And LOL. I knew you'd want to scream at the ending! :) I have a feeling you'll like this ending a whoooole lot more!  
Emy . Elle - Hmmm...it's not always that easy. He'd still have to give up quite a bit to just move up there. And MAN. You were just a little ball of emotions last chapter, weren't you? LOL. I'm sorry I made you go through all of that! I think you'll like the end of this though! :)  
Tokala - It's definitely a good thing that Logan's so damn stubborn. :)  
Carlos'sCupcake - Awww, I'm sorry I made you tear up! And YESSSS Logan came for her! He wasn't a dumb boy this time! Lol. I have a feeling you'll like the end of this. :)  
**

* * *

Without saying a word, Logan stepped inside and crushed his mouth to hers. Shock prevented Emily from responding immediately. But the feel of his lips on hers once again was too much. She found herself drowning in him, the taste, smell and feel of him. All too soon, Logan pulled away, grinning down at the glazed expression on her face.

"Emily," he breathed out.

The sound of his voice broke her out of her trance. She shook her head, eyes widening once more.

"What – what are you doing here now?" she asked him when her voice came back to her. Logan just grinned his crooked grin, raising his eyebrows at her.

"You didn't really think I'd make the same mistake twice, did you?" he questioned. Emily's stared, recognition showing in the green depths.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. Grin fading, Logan shut the door and pulled her over to the couch, sitting down with her.

"No. I'm sorry," he replied. At her quizzical look, Logan explained. "I'm sorry for what I did all those years ago. I now know what it felt like when you thought I had left you for good."

Pain entered her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak. "Logan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that to you. I just – I couldn't face you," she said, her eyes downcast.

Logan lifted her chin and shook his head at her.

"No. I understand. I did the same thing to you. And besides, I put too much pressure on you. I shouldn't have just sprung that on you like that." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "All the same, I did mean what I said. I want you to marry me, Emily."

Frustration filled her. She pulled her chin out of his grasp and backed away from him on the couch.

"Logan. I'm sorry that I left the way I did. But it doesn't change the fact that I can't marry you."

Anger flashed briefly in his dark eyes. "Why the hell not? You love me, I love you. We have a daughter together. I need you both in my life. It's always been you, Em."

"We already have a huge problem with the fact that we live on opposite sides of the country. How in the hell is marriage going to solve that problem Logan? Please tell me how you can rationalize this," she retorted, annoyance clear.

"Because I love you. And I can't live without you. No matter where we are," came his response. Emily pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I love you too, Logan. But it _does_ matter. Life gets in the way when you live in the same place. We'll be in different time zones, both of us busy with our jobs and me with Hannah. Marriage is not going to make that better."

"What if we weren't on different ends of the country?" Logan questioned. Emily's mouth opened and closed, as if she was trying to think of what to say. "Would your answer be different?"

"Logan…," she sighed.

"Would it? Answer the question, Em," he demanded.

"Yes," she responded honestly. But before he could reply, Emily hurried on. "But that doesn't change anything Logan. We _do_ live in two different worlds. Right now we're just not meant to be. I'm not leaving New York. And you can't leave L.A."

"That's not exactly true," Logan said, a hint of a grin on his face.

Emily gave him a sharp look, catching onto his tone. "What did you do?" she asked hesitantly. "Please don't tell me that you did something stupid."

"What if I told you that I did decide to move out here?"

"I swear, if you decided to move out here and give up your life I'm going to kill you. You're just going to resent that decision and resent me…" Logan held his hand up, cutting her off.

"When I went to L.A., I entered into negotiations before signing my contract. I went in with the intention of doing anything I could to be with you, even if that meant turning it down."

Emily swore at that, standing up to pace around. "How could you be so stupid, Logan?" she responde, trying to keep her voice down so as not to wake Hannah. Irritation and anger were clear in her voice and posture. "You can't throw that away! You have a responsibility, to yourself, to the label, to your fans."

Once again, Logan cut her off.

"None of that matters when put next to you and Hannah. But," he started before Emily could go off at him again. "It just so happens that we were able to work something out. I'm going to be recording here in New York."

Emily stopped pacing to stare at him. "What?" she asked dumbly, as if she didn't understand. Logan grinned at her.

"This place is important to you. You have ties here. I get that," he said. "You have connections, connections that'll help you when you start your business. You need to be here."

"But – you have a life out there…," she trailed off.

"Yeah. But you're more important to me. I let you go once. I'm not an idiot; I'm not making that mistake again." Logan gathered Emily in his arms, pulling her close to him. "You're it for me, Em. And if this is where you need to be, then I'm going to be here with you."

Her eyes filled unexpectedly, tears spilling out as she laid her head on his chest. "You're really going to record here?" she asked him quietly.

"I am. I'll record my album, do some promo work. I'll be gone for a bit on tour, but then I'll be right back here."

Emily was speechless. She didn't know what to think or say. Her heart was full, almost bursting at the seams. Logan had come after her this time. And had made it okay for them to be together. She lifted her head, lips finding his in a slow, sweet kiss. Logan's hand cupped her cheek, brushing away her tears.

"So. Back to the question at hand," he said softly when they broke apart. He pulled the ring out of his pocket and held it between them. "What do you say, Em? Marry me?"

She looked at him, his dark eyes full of love. They were the same eyes she frequently gazed into as a teenager. Except this time they held trust. And seemed to be so much more safe. Slowly, she nodded her head, giving him a smile.

Logan broke out into a large grin, slipping the ring on her finger before pulling her back into his arms, crushing his mouth on hers once more. Emily felt herself being pulled down onto the couch, falling further into his embrace.

"Mommy?"

Once again, they were interrupted by the sound of Hannah's sleepy voice. They broke apart to look at her. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Logan.

"Daddy!" she cried out, all traces of sleep erasing from her face as she launched herself in between them, landing in Logan's lap.

Both Logan and Emily laughed. He wrapped his arms around Hannah, giving her a squeeze. "Hey sunshine," he replied, kissing the top of her head. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Hannah was too excited to even look properly ashamed. She just grinned back up at him, mirroring his own. "I heard voices, so I came out to see and it was you! I'm so glad you're here, Daddy!" she exclaimed, wrapping her tiny arms around his middle and snuggling into his chest.

Emily's heart expanded at the sight in front of her. Another tear escaped from her eye, causing Logan to lift a hand up and brush it away, smiling gently at her. She returned the smile, catching his hand in her own and squeezing it.

"Are you staying, Daddy?" Hannah asked, looking up at both her parents. Smiling widely, Emily nodded down at her.

"Daddy's staying. For good," she responded. Her daughter's eyes lit up and she let out a squeal, causing both Emily and Logan to laugh.

Logan held out an arm, inviting Emily into the embrace. She leaned in, allowing him to pull her close. Her head rested in the crook of his neck, breathing him in. They sat there, the three of them together, as a unit. Emily's heart was so full, she could barely contain it. She was completely content.

After all these years and all the hurt between them, they had finally found their way back to each other. Their history brought them together across that hurt. Seven years wasn't enough to erase the love that had been between them before. They remembered all too well what it had been like. And they were unable to stay apart because of it. Despite their problems and the fact that they loved to argue with each other, they were going to make this work. Emily was sure of that now.

Logan loved her enough this time to go after her. He cared about her dreams, what she wanted. He loved her. And he was it for her.

As she sat there, wrapped up in one of his arms, Hannah tucked under the other, she felt sure, complete. This was her home. And she wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
